FRANCE ~ The Louvre - Paris - UNESCO ~

... First of two great Paris museums... a beautiful night view of one the largest and most-visited art museums in the world... the Louvre’s galleries are displayed across 652,300 square feet – which is nearly 15 acres... it welcomes around 15.000 visitors per day, and 70% are foreign tourists... the reason for its popularity is its collection of 38.000 priceless masterpieces and antiques... Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is undoubtedly one of the most famous pieces of art in the Louvre... Thanks so much  Dustin!! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photo: Ⓒ Jen-Marie Charles
The Musée du Louvre was not originally museum. It was a fortress that was built in 1190. In the 16thC, it was turned from a fortress into a royal palace. It was only in 1793, after the French Monarchy moved to the Palace of Versailles, that the first Louvre museum was opened to the public, and offered just 537 paintings.

Napoleon once renamed the Louvre to Musée Napoleon and expanded its collection by 5,000 pieces. The pieces were, however, returned to the original owners when the military leader was defeated.

The Louvre’s glass pyramid was built in 1989 and is 2m high and is made solely of glass and metal. The architect, I.M. Pei, was the first non-French architect to work on the Louvre. Many are unaware that the glass pyramid is one of four, as three smaller glass pyramids surround the courtyard, Cour Napoleon.

On the unesco WHS list Paris, Banks of the Seine since 1991.

Stamps:

Animated Series - Hello Maestro
(Issued 23-09-2017)

30th anniversary of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe
(Issued 12-10-2017)