KOSHASRINI: EUROPE TOUR .. Day.3

4-10-2025 . SATURDAY

Breakfast at our Stay

( Courtyard by Marriott Paris Porte de Versailles ) …

Walk from our Hotel to Porte de Versailles station ..

From there by Metro to Louvre Museum station with a change-over at Concorde ..

The Louvre ..

(this two pictures are Courtesy of GOOGLE IMAGES)

A National Art Museum in Paris. And the most visited museum in the world, and one of the largest museums in the world. The museum itself is a masterpiece.

Before it was the world's largest art museum, it was a medieval fortress built in 1190, and later a Royal Palace for French Kings like Louis XIV.

The Louvre Palace is home to some of the world's most iconic pieces – paintings, sculptures, architectural elements and art objects by famous or anonymous artists of many different origins and eras.

And no two masterpieces are alike! Corridors, halls and galleries filled with the works of great Masters.

Sketches, finished paintings, prints and drawings in various techniques introduce visitors to the broad range of the artists’ talents and cast light on their creative process.

To see the entire collection would take the Visitor at least a week. However, millions of visitors come mainly for the three famous Ladies: the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Nike of Samothrace.

The "Big Three" .. The Unmissable Masterpieces

Mona Lisa:

This 30 in × 21 in Masterpiece was painted by Leonardo da Vinci is displayed behind climate-controlled bulletproof glass in its own dedicated space. Her enigmatic smile attracts millions of visitors. Acquired by French King Francis I, the Mona Lisa is at The Louvre since 1797.

Winged Victory of Samothrace: (the Nike of Samothrace)

Courtesy: GOOGLE IMAGES

A celebrated masterpiece of Hellenistic Greek sculpture, depicting the Goddess of Victory, Nike, alighting on a warship's prow, famed for its dramatic sense of motion and intricate drapery, famously displayed dramatically at the top of the Daru staircase in the Louvre even without its head or arms. Despite missing its head, arms, and parts of its wings, it's considered one of the Louvre's most breathtaking and unforgettable works. Discovered in fragments on the Greek island of Samothrace in 1863, this marble statue from the early 2nd century BC commemorates a naval victory and remains a powerful, iconic symbol in Western art.

Venus de Milo:

Courtesy: GOOGLE IMAGES

A 6 ft 7 in tall Parian marble statue of the Greek goddess, Aphrodite, depicted with a bare torso and drapery over the lower half of her body. The figure stands with her weight on her right leg, and the left leg raised; her head is turned to the left.

The statue is missing both arms, the left foot, and the earlobes. There is a filled hole below her right breast. Though polished smooth, chisel marks are still visible.

She was found in 1820 in the Greek island of Melos (Milos) and acquired by the French ambassador to Greece at that time. Then presented to King Louis XVIII, who donated her to the Louvre in March 1821.

Stepping into the Louvre isn't just seeing art in a palace, it's walking through 800 years of French history—from a defensive fortress to the grand halls of royalty, finally culminating in a public art haven. The excavated remains of the Medieval Louvre Fortress are still visible in the Sully Wing (downstairs), offering a literal look back in time.

Modern Meets Classic: The iconic Glass Pyramid.

When unveiled in 1989, it was controversial but it's now a celebrated symbol of Paris. The main Pyramid is 21 meters tall. It's often called the "Cheese Dome" by early critics, but it serves as a brilliant way to guide the visitors who come to the museum daily.