Tuileries Quarter  

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1. Louvre Museum

The Musée du Louvre is the most visited museum in the world and it houses over 35000 objects from the 6th century BC to the 19th century. The collection is divided among Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; and Prints and Drawings.

Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Tuesday, until 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday evenings.
The Pyramid and Galerie du Carrousel entrances are open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., except Tuesday.
The Passage Richelieu is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Tuesday.
The Porte des Lions entrance is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except Tuesday and Friday.
Price: €9 for full-day access to the Louvre, except for temporary exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon. It is also valid for the Musée Eugène Delacroix.
€6 (from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.) This ticket provides access to the Louvre, except for temporary exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon, on Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Plan: floor plans
Metro: Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre station.
Website: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en




2. Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

Built by Napoleon in 1806-1808 as an entrance to the former Palais de Tuileries, its marble columns are topped by solders of the grand Armée.
It is part of the so-called Grand Ax of Paris which consists of the Grande Arch de la Defense, the Arc de Triomphe at Etoile, the Champs-Elysees, the Obélisque de Luxor at the Place de la Concorde, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and continues on to the Louvre.
Metro: Palais Royal Musée du Louvre

3. Jardin des Tuileries

These formal gardens were once the gardens of the old Palais des Tuileries and were redesigned in French formal style by André Le Nôtre, the celebrated gardener of King Louis XIV, the Sun King.
The gardens include several fountains, two large basins, numerous sculptures and two museums, the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume and the Musée de l'Orangerie, which displays Claude Monet's large water lily paintings.


4. Place de la Concorde

The original place was built between 1754 and 1763 and was called the Place Louis XV. Between 1793 and 1795 it became the Palace de la Révolution and held in its center the guillotine that executed Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, Danton, Robespierre and many others. The name symbolize the end of a troubled era and the hope of a better future.



5. Place de la Madeleine

The place de la Madeleine was created on the same time as the Madeleine church, which was designed in its present form as a temple to the glory of Napoleon’s army. A colonnade of 20 m high (64ft) Corinthian columns encircles the building and supports a sculptured frieze.
The edifice is impressive, colonnades guarding the entrance, but the real attraction of the area is the stores that surround the church.


6. Place Vendôme

At origin this place served as a monument to the glory of the arminies of Louis XIV. The present column was erected by Napoleon, inspired by the Trajan's Column, to celebrate the victory of Austerlitz.

7. Palais Royal

Palais Royal was at first the the home of Cardinal Richelieu and then it passed to the Crown on his death and became the childhood home of Louis XIV. After the Revolution, the palace became a gambling house and now it houses the Conseil d'État, the Constitutional Council, and the Ministry of Culture.
The palace is not open to the public, but you can visit the courtyard and the garden. The courtyard, known as Cour d'Honneur, is dominated by a large sculpture by Daniel Buren, installed in 1986.

Metro: Palais Royal Musée du Louvre

This entry was posted on 17 June, 2009 at Wednesday, June 17, 2009 and is filed under , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

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