Have you ever walked into a building and found yourself walking around with your eyes glued to the ceiling? That’s how I spent the majority of my time in the Versailles, but also a good bit of my time in the Louvre museum as well. Reason being is that the museum itself is installed inside the Louvre Palace which was originally a fortress! Naturally, a palace has a certain standard it needs to meet to accommodate royalty, so some of the rooms feature ceilings that are just as magnificent as the ones at the Versailles. I wonder if the current richest people of the world are making their mark on architectural history right now. They certainly have a lot to live up to, don’t you think?
Out of curiosity, I made my way to the apartments of Napoleon III Apartments that were in the far corner of the Richelieu wing. It was decorated with as much splendor as the Versailles. An abundance of chandeliers, rich red drapes, paintings on the ceiling, and gold everywhere you looked. The most memorable moment was when I stood in front of the throne. I believe it wasn’t the actual throne room, just the throne and carpet moved here for display, but it had that feeling of power and magnificence to it.
It’s pretty remarkable seeing something that dates back to 1754 BC and appears in most if not all world history books. Standing in front of the Code of Hammurabi I felt pretty jealous of all the students living in Paris. Being able to see the things you learn about in history class in person instead of just seeing thumbnails in a textbook must be amazing.
Near the lower ground floor are the remnants of the fortress. I didn’t dream of walking around the base of the fortress as my leg were killing me. Near the fortress walls, there was a lone sphinx known as the Great Sphinx of Tanis that is apparently one of the biggest sphinxes residing outside of Egypt. This was the only Egyptian artifact I saw at the Louvre as I’d wanted to see more of the European art works that I wouldn’t be able to see elsewhere.
Your turn ♥ What would you like to see the most at the Louvre?
