Louvre, Paris

No visit to Paris is complete without going to the Louvre.

The place itself is layered with centuries of history:

built initially as a fortress in the 12th century,

successive kings ordered new construction,

creating a city palace in the French Renaissance style.

By 1793, the Palais du Louvre became a museum,

which showcased Napoleon's war "trophies" from Egypt and across Europe.

By 1993, a new entrance via a glass pyramid

-- designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei --

revitalized the Musee du Louvre,

drawing more visitors over the years.

What is this crowd so excited about?

Dear Mona Lisa!

How sweetly she smiles for thousands of visitors daily!

Undoubtedly, Mona Lisa is a crowd-puller.

But there is more to the museum experience

than encountering one "block-buster work"...

Not to mention how much revenue she generates

for the museum through these souvenirs!

The Louvre is impressive not only for its breadth of artworks

but also its range of display spaces.

For instance, the marble sculptures above

are featured in a large courtyard with trees.

Egyptian antiquities are located in the basement,

in a crypt-like setting.

Grand Gallery, 1801 by Hubert Robert, curator of Louvre

When the art collection at Louvre was first open to the public,

there were specific days set aside for art students

to come and study the works of art.