Hello to everyone!
Today we went to one of the most well known places in Paris, the Louvre! We saw two sections, but there are still many more to come. Mom, you were right, you can NOT see it all in one day! Good thing we have tomorrow too. I learned so much and I would like to share some of it with you!
The Louvre is a beautiful landmark since the late 12th century. It was once a dark fortress, but it was transformed into the modernized home of Francois the first and later the gorgeous palace of teh Sun King Louis the 14th. Miriam and I explored the history of this extraordinary structure and the museum that has occupied since 1793. We got to see the special exhibet called Medieval and renaissance Illuminations. Today we also were able to see the Mona Lisa in the materpieces of the Louvre exhibet. It was quite surreal to see the actual Mona Lisa in person... It is something I will always remember.
There was hall after hall after hall of artwork! It was overwelming, but amazing at the same time!
After we finished up at the Louvre for the day, we headed over to Notre Dame for our tour at 4:00pm. We not only had an audio tour fo the main part, but we also had a tour of teh treasury room. It houses holy objects like Bishops' crooks and rings, processional crosses and crucifixes, and histrical illuminate books that could not stand exposure to certain light.
Notre Dame has a long history but I will just give you the most important facts. Construction began in 1163 during the reign of Louis the 7th. There were various architects that oversaw the construction at different times. At the end of the 17th century, the cathedral underwent major alterations. During that time, many tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed. In 1793, the cathedral fell victim to the French Revolution. Many sculptures and trasures were destroyed. Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor at Notre Dame on December 2, 1804. a restoration brogram was initiated in 1845 and lasted 23 years.
Whoa! That was a lot of information! It was a long day and I think Miriam is happy that we are finally back to our hostel. Me? I would keep exploring all night long!
But I guess it is getting late.. See you in the morning!
~Kileigh
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