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Title details for The Louvre by James Gardner - Wait list

The Louvre

The Many Lives of the World's Most Famous Museum

by James Gardner
Graham Halstead
Audiobook
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The fascinating and little-known story of the Louvre, from its inception as a humble fortress to its transformation into the palatial residence of the kings of France and then into the world's greatest art museum
More than 7,000 years ago, men and women camped on a spot called le Louvre for reasons unknown; a clay quarry and a vineyard supported a society there in the first centuries AD. A thousand years later, King Philippe Auguste of France constructed a fortress there in 1191, just outside the walls of a city far smaller than the Paris we know today. Intended to protect the capital against English soldiers stationed in Normandy, the fortress became a royal residence under Charles V two centuries later, and then the monarchy's principal residence under the great Renaissance king François I in 1546. It remained so until 1682, when Louis XIV moved his entire court to Versailles. Thereafter the fortunes of the Louvre languished until the tumultuous days of the French Revolution when, during the Reign of Terror in 1793, it first opened its doors to display the nation's treasures. Ever since—through the Napoleonic era, the Commune, two World Wars, to the present—the Louvre has been a witness to French history, and expanded to become home to a legendary collection, including such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 4, 2020

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781705230596
      • File size: 368291 KB
      • Duration: 12:47:16

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The combination of visually descriptive writing and thoughtful narration by Graham Halstead transports the listener to the famous Louvre Museum in Paris. Without actually going there, one can imagine walking the great halls with royalty and artists over many centuries. Halstead enhances this audiobook with frequent passages in French as he tells of how the building began as a castle fortress in 1190 and progressed through the reigns of many kings until it became an art museum during the French Revolution in 1793. With his impeccable pacing and easygoing tone, Halstead describes the innovations of major architects from 1200 to 2011. To be sure, the visitor will hear about the MONA LISA and the VENUS DE MILO but will also walk the halls of history. J.E.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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