Les Loisirs Culturels à Paris

The Louvre is the world’s largest museum and is the product of centuries of construction. It was originally built by Philippe-Auguste in the 13th century as a fortress. Throughout the centuries the palace has served many purposes, from the royal residence to empty apartments that were taken over by artist. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette fled from the palace, then called the Palais des Tuileries, in 1791, 2 years after the start of the French Revolution. At the end of the 18th century, Napoléan made the Louvre into a museum, but 3 more French kings (Louis XVIII, Charles X and Louis Philippe) continued to make it their home.

La pyramide du musée du Louvre – The glass pyramid in the Cour Napoléon in front of the Louvre by the American architect I.M. Pei, was commissioned by former president François Mitterand, and unveiled in March 1989. Below the pyramid there is a large museum shop, a café, and a restaurant. Standing at the pyramid cone can look straight ahead and capture one of the most beautiful views in the world – a vista stretching from the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, les Tuileries, las place de la Concorde, les Champs-Elysées, l’Arc de Triomphe to the new giant Grande Arhce de la Défense. When the pyramid was first unveiled, its modernistic look in the midst of such classical architecture as that of the Louvre and its courtyard caused a furor. The furor over the years has subsided, and many compare the reaction to that caused by the Eiffel Tower a century earlier.

Des Peintures au Louvre

Au Louvre

Centre Pompidou / Beaubourg

The Centre Pompidou is named after Georges Pompidou, the French president who launched the project to establish this museum of modern art. Most Parisians simply refer to it as Beaubourg because it is located on the plateau Beaubourg. The center was opened in 1977, and it soon attracted millions of visitors, 5 times more than had been estimated. The brightly painted exterior service pipes and the plastic tubing enclosing the escalator were in need of constant repair. In 1996 the government shut down the center for a complete renovation and expansion. It reopened in January 2000.

Le Musée d’Orsay

The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It is probably best known for its extensive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces (the largest in the world) by such painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh. Many of these works were held at the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume prior to the museum's opening in 1986. Written by Wikipedia

Opéra Garnier

L’Opéra Garnier is the original opera house of Paris. Built at the request of Napoleon III, construction was begun in 1862 but not completed until 1875. It is named after its architect, Charles Garnier. It is a beautiful building with a mélange of many architectural styles. Most operas are now performed at the new Opéra Bastille, but there are still occasional performances at the Garnier, which is more often used for ballets.

Opéra Bastille

L’Opéra Bastille is Paris’ modern opera house designed by the Argentine-born architect Carlos Ott. It opened in 1989, seats more than 3000 people, was designed to replace the Opéra Garnier and is now home to the Opéra National de Paris. It is located at Place de la Bastille, the location where the French stormed the Bastille state prison and during the French Revolution in 1789.

At Place de la Bastille stood a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. This square played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history the fortress was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stormed on July 14, 1789 during the French Revolution, becoming an important symbol for the French Republican movement, and was later completely demolished and built over by the Place de la Bastille.

La Comédie Française

La Comédie Française theater building dates from 1790. The Comédie Française Acting Company was created by Louis XIV and dates back to 1680. The Comédie Française is the setting for performances of classical French dramas. The comedies of Molière and the tragedies of Racine and Corneille are performed regularly. It is the oldest national theater in the world.