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Five little-known curiosities about the Louvre Museum, Paris

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, is one of the most famous museums in the world and the first in terms of visitor numbers (9.6 million in 2019). It is located on the rive droite, in the 1st arrondissement, between the Seine and rue de Rivoli.

Originally conceived as a fortress, in successive renovations it has also been the seat of the Royal family and governmental activities. The name comes from the palace in which the Louvre is built.

Inside, it houses an almost infinite and endless collection of artistic works, including some of the most famous paintings in history such as the 'Mona Lisa', the 'Virgin of the Rocks' and many others. There are many curiosities not only about the museum, but also about its structure and history.

Di Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr) - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
Curiosities about the Louvre museum
The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, is one of the most famous museums in the world and the first in terms of visitor numbers (9.6 million in 2019). It is located on the rive droite, in the 1st arrondissement, between the Seine and rue de Rivoli. Originally conceived as a fortress, in successive renovations it has also been the seat of the Royal family and governmental activities. The name comes from the palace in which the Louvre is built. Inside, it houses an almost infinite and endless collection of artistic works, including some of the most famous paintings in history such as the Mona Lisa, the Virgin of the Rocks and many others. There are many curiosities not only about the museum, but also about its structure and history.
By Diego Delso - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12635542
There is another "Louvre museum"
Not only in Paris, but also in Abu Dhabi there is an official Louvre museum, which finished construction in 2016. It is the second largest art museum in the entire Arabian Peninsula, and its construction required some USD 600 million. Since its opening, the museum averages about one million visitors each year.
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The theft of the Mona Lisa
On the night between Sunday 20 and Monday 21 August 1911, before a day of closure of the museum, the 'Mona Lisa' was stolen. The author of the theft was a certain Vincenzo Peruggia from Dumenza, a village near Luino, Italy. He had stolen it from the museum, where he worked, because he was convinced that the work had been stolen by Napoleon and therefore wanted to 'return it to Italy'. He was arrested two years later, after keeping it with him for 28 months, while trying to sell it in Florence. This theft contributed greatly to the increased fame of this painting.
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There are five pyramids in the Louvre
The very famous Pyramid I. M. Pei pyramid, the one seen in all photographs of the Louvre, is not the only pyramid in the building. Incredibly, there are a total of five pyramids in the Louvre. Besides the main one, there are also three smaller ones, also made of glass, surrounding the I.M. Pei pyramid. The fifth pyramid is the Louvre Pyramide inversée (inverted pyramid) in the Carrousel du Louvre.
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During the war, the Louvre became a Nazi warehouse.
Before the start of the Second World War, the Louvre was emptied of most of its works to protect them from the German armies, who nevertheless used the museum as a warehouse. In fact, the Nazis used to loot and plunder the museums of conquered nations, then take the works back to Germany as spoils of war. On Hitler's orders, the private property of the Jewish community had to be taken into custody. For this purpose the ERR was created, a task force dedicated to looting and destruction. It was precisely the German army that used the Louvre, during the occupation of France, as a warehouse to store all stolen works.
By Martin Falbisoner - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44266
The Musée Napoléon
In 1083, the Louvre changed its name to Musée Napoléon, and remained so until 1814. With his conquests all over Europe, the French Emperor contributed enormously to the increase of the museum's collection, and therefore there was a need to enlarge the structure in order to be able to display all the conquered treasures. In 1815, when Napoleon abdicated, almost 5000 works of art were sent back to their country of origin.
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