The Da Vinci Code Tour Part 1: the Louvre
May 17th 2006 23:00
Bonjour tout le monde!
(Hello everyone)
Well, today is the day, which has been anticipated by millions around the world. About 40 million copies of the book have been sold globally and a film, starring veteran actor Tom Hanks and France’s brightest young starlet Audrey Tautou (who you may recognise in my ID photo) is being released today.
Da Vinci Code hype is engulfing the world: millions are re-reading the book for the hundredth time, movie cinemas are full, Dan Brown has become a millionaire, churches around the world are up in arms and the whole thing may have been plagiarised. (However, this has now been disproved by the courts.) All of this over a piece of fiction: a figment of the imagination, which claims that it’s true [The film’s catch-cry “Discover the truth” and the facts listed and the beginning of the novel.]
You may be able to detect a slight hint of sarcasm in my tone as I write this post. I am a Da Vinci cynic: I have so far refused to buy into the hype. To the disgrace and utter shame of some of my friends, I have not read the Da Vinci Code and I pride myself on that fact. (BTW, there was a great article in the Heckler column of yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald [17/5/06], which dealt with this. The online version can be found by clicking here.)
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what the Da Vinci Code has to do with a travel blog. Well, tourism operators have decided to buy into the excitement, conducting tours of all the major sites in the novel. Cracking, Solving and Discovering the Da Vinci Code tours have popped up everywhere and have created a new market: Da Vinci Code tourism.
But, today, in honour of this much anticipated day, I am going to write about the place where it all began; the museum which houses the famous painting which inspired the contents of the novel and the art gallery where the infamous murder of its curator Jacques Saunière is found, murdered: le Musée du Louvre.
The Louvre and Glass Pyramid (from wikipedia.org)
The Louvre is perhaps the world’s best art gallery and museum, but too many people it can be quite daunting so they choose to go to smaller galleries. But it is in fact a “must-see” in Paris. It was built in the early 13th century as a fortress to protect Paris from the Normans and the English.
It was first used as a public museum in 1793 with around 2500 paintings. À nos jours, (nowadays) the gallery holds around 30 000 paintings. The Louvre has 7 different departments, which hold its cultural treasures: Oriental Antiques, Egyptian Antiques, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiques, Paintings, Sculptures and Art Objects from the Middle Ages to 1850. This large variety is sure to please at least one interest.
Many famous paintings from renowned artists grace the walls of the Louvre. Its most well-known resident is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (or La Joconde as it’s known in French.) Apparently, the Mona Lisa is in a tiny wing of the gallery and is actually very small. There is always a huge crowd around it, so make sure you check out the other artworks in the gallery. A recommendation from a friend: see the Venus de Milo. It’s apparently very cool.
The Mona Lisa (from the Louvre on wikipedia.org)
The Louvre has undergone many renovations over its lifetime. The Grand Louvre Project was only completed in 1997. Its most famous addition, the Giant Glass Pyramid, was completed in 1989 as an extra access into the gallery. It was designed by I.M. Pei and was initially unpopular with many Parisians. This is the Pyramid through which our hero Robert Langdon was escorted, down the spiral staircase and into the Grand Gallery to find the body of the curator. According to Dan Brown, there are 666 glass tiles on the pyramid. (Ooooooo. Scary!) Unfortunately, this is the first mistake in the novel: there are 698 tiles on the pyramid, according to the Louvre.
I have heard from my sources that the Louvre actually holds special night time Da Vinci Code Tours. I do not know any more information about this, but if anyone wants to know more, leave a comment and I’ll look it up for you. = )
The Louvre is open:
Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays: 9:00am-6:00pm.
Wednesdays and Fridays: 9:00am-9:45pm.
It is closed on Tuesdays and some public holidays. One tip I have been given: there are usually huge queues at the top, near the Glass Pyramid to buy tickets. To avoid these queues, try ordering tickets online or entering via the underground entrance.
For more info go to the Louvre’s official site at http://www.louvre.fr
Hope this satisfies your Da Vinci needs for today. Tune in tomorrow when I bring you the second half of the Da Vinci Code Tour and all the other attractions around Paris.
See you tomorrow
À demain
Melinda
P.S Thanks to Channel Nine’s Getaway program for airing a Da Vinci special last Thursday 11th May. Some of the information on this blog (and tomorrow's as well) came from that program and the original transcripts can be found here and here.
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