LLEI D'ART 14

onmuseums TheLouvre Paris To visit the Louvre is to discover, through its collections, all of western art from the MiddleAges until 1848. But what is also interesting about the Louvre is not only its contents but thebuilding itself, because thepalace which houses themuseum goes back to the endof the twelfth century. Throughout the years, this great seat of power has been the stage upon which the history of Paris and, consequently, all of France has beenplayedout. Itsmagnificent collections (close to 300,000 items prior to1948, of which35,000 are on show) are a result of great efforts throughout its long history. The Louvre laid the foundations uponwhichmost of themajor European and NorthAmericanmuseumswere later built. Havingopened its doors to thepublic near the end of the 18th century, the Louvre is France’smost important museum and themost visited in theworld. The etymology of the name “Louvre” seems to allude to themagnificence of its construction; it suggests a simplificationof theword “L’ Œuvre” (“themasterpiece”). Although the originof the name is not clear, it does seem to be a reference to anoldCeltic termmeaning “fortifiedpalace”, whichwas exactlywhat Philippe-Auguste (KingPhilip II of France) intended: tobuild a great fortress toprotect Paris in his absence. For this reason hedecided to erect a castle toguardone of theweakest points inParis: thepoint of confluence in theSeine. Its purposewas not tobe a new royal residence, but tobe a real military stronghold, which iswhy it was not located in the heart of the city (although it is now), but in the outskirts, with 139