The Louvre is the world’s biggest museum and is home to one of the most stunning art collections ever seen. It houses more than 380,000 items and exhibits approximately 35,000 artworks! If that staggering statistic isn’t enough to convince you to go to the Louvre, then the following interesting facts will.
1.) The Louvre and its contents are worth at the very least $45.5 billion
Based on French historian Patrice De Moncan “the Louvre, minus its contents, is worth $10.5 billion” in addition to its works of art and other objects “have an estimated MINIMUM value of 35 billion.” To look at this in a different light, the amount of time it takes those earning $10 million in annual salary for 4,550 years to build up the wealth. There is no wonder there is plenty of security!
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2.) It will take 100 days to view all the artwork in the Louvre
It’s impossible to explore the entirety of the Louvre in a single visit. In fact, even if you only spend 30 seconds looking at every artwork, it would take you 100 days to view the entire collection! It doesn’t even consider eating, sleeping, or going to the bathroom. Make sure you get there before the doors open and set out to spend the entire day here to experience many more things than The Mona Lisa.
3.) Sixty-six percent of paintings at the Louvre were painted by French artists
There are currently 7500 artworks in the Louver’s eight departments of the Louvre and French locals painted more than 66% of them. French citizens are extremely proud of this, and rightly so. Some of the most well-known French paintings that you can see are The raft of Medusa, Liberty leading the People and The Coronation of Napoleon.
4.) The Louvre wasn’t always employed as a museum.
In 1190 in 1190, it was discovered that the Louvre was a fortress of immense size which was designed to stop invaders from the north. The 16th century was when it was turned into an official palace. Francis, I rebuilt certain areas of the medieval fortress with classical antiques and Italian Renaissance architecture. It wasn’t until 1793, the year of the French Revolution, that the Louvre was finally inaugurated as an institution.
5. 15,000 people go to the Louvre every single day
The Louvre is so large that you would not even know it exists; however, when you go to it, you’ll be sharing this experience with 15,000 others. In 2018 the Louvre received 10.2 million visitors. That’s 3.5 million more than Vatican Museum, the second largest museum in Europe. 70% of the visitors are foreigners. This makes it not only the largest collection of museums worldwide but also the most visited.
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6.) The glass pyramid that is the main one within the courtyard is 21 meters high
The famous and stunning pyramid that serves to access the entrance to the Louvre is actually very contemporary. In 1983, the museum required an additional entrance to accommodate more visitors. The Chinese American artist I.M. Pei was awarded the project by submitting the design for a 21-meter glass and metal pyramid.
7.) Some believe that ghosts have haunted the Louvre
Given that the Louvre has been in operation for more than 800 years and has been in operation for over 800 years, it’s no surprise that many believe it’s haunted. Three famous ghosts, however harmless, inhabit the museum. First, the mother, Belphegor, is often found wandering about the hallways. Outside the museum, visitors can see a mysterious woman wandering the garden wearing red. There is also an infamous butcher named “Jack The Skinner,” who was slandered by the royals who resided here.
8.) Gallery of The Louvre covers more than 15 acres
If you took the entire content in the Louvre galleries and spread them out, the museum would be eight miles!
9. Abu Dhabi recently built its own Louvre museum.
In the year 2016, Abu Dhabi finished constructing the second official Louvre museum in the world. The Louvre is the biggest art museum in the Arabian peninsula. It has a population of around one million every year. This is a tiny amount compared to the Louvre in Paris. In addition, it is worth noting that it is estimated that the Abu Dhabi Louvre has cost the country EUR600 million to complete! The Louvre is located in Abu Dhabi.
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10. Napoleon renamed the Louvre at the time he was on the throne
In the course of his reign, Napoleon Bonaparte temporarily renamed the Louvre in honor of himself the Musee Napoleon. The army of Napoleon filled the museum with the artifice of war across the continent. After Napoleon’s death in 1814, more than 5,000 artifacts went back to their original owners. However, not all made it to their new homes!
