They say that Paris is justly famous for two things: Its art and its food. Visitors to Le Bourget '97, faced with the prospect of doing Paris the American way (ie. in about three hours) can get a shot of both of this beautiful city's attributes in one single location.

That one place is the Louvre - more properly the Musee du Louvre - the national art museum of France and a former royal palace.

The Louvre is located on the right bank of the River Seine and as well as housing a number of art treasures it also features a fine gastronomic treasures, one of the best brasseries in the Paris, Le Cafe Marly.

The Louvre, until 1682 a residence of the kings of France, is one of the largest palaces in the world.

It occupies the site of a 13th-century fortress. Construction began in 1546 in the reign of Francis I to the plans of the architect Pierre Lescot.

 

Structure

Additions were made to the structure during the reigns of almost every subsequent French monarch.

Under Henry IV, in the early 17th century, the Grande Galerie - now the main picture gallery, which borders the Seine - was completed. Under Napoleon III a wing on the north side, along the rue de Rivoli, was finished.

By the mid-19th century, the vast complex was completed; covering more than 19 hectares (48 acres), it is a masterpiece of architectural design and sculptural adornment.

Today, in the main central courtyard, it is a work of modern architecture that catches the eye.

 

Transformed

In 1993 the north wing of the Louvre Palace, formerly occupied by the Ministry of Finance, was vacated and transformed into exhibition areas.

This ended the second phase of a project in progress since 1981 that included the addition of the glass pyramid entrance designed by I M Pei, an auditorium, galleries for temporary exhibitions, displays on the history of the Louvre, excavation of the moats of the medieval Louvre, excavation of the restaurants, shops, and parking facilities.

Described by many as the folly of former President Mitterand, Pei's pyramid attracts millions of visitors each year and is best viewed from the verandah of one of those newly-excavated restaurants.

The Cafe Marly has all the style you would expect of one of Paris' finest eating spots. It opens at 08.00 every day serving simple breakfasts and remains open until 02.00 doing a roaring trade with French society.

Its brasserie menu has something for everyone from simple herb salads (Ff40) and bacon and eggs (Ff45) right through to the fine cuisine of filet steak with Bearnaise sauce (Ff120); Paillard de veau (Ff90) and a splendid Sole meuniure (Ff120).

Desserts are also first class, a traditional Mille-feuilles is on the menu at Ff45 and for chocolate lovers the Mont Blanc is a bargain at the same price.

As you might expect, there is a wine list to die for.

 

Selective

Although highly selective, it offers some of the finest wines in town at good prices (in French terms) and for drivers, it does them by the glass too.

Sancerre is there for Ff140 a bottle and among the reds there is a special treat for those on expense accounts, the Prince of Claret, the Chateau Talbot-St-Julien is available at Ff400 and it is worth every centime.

But what about the Louvre itself? It has been a public museum since 1793.

Francis I, a collector and patron of note, assembled the nucleus of the collections, a group of Italian Renaissance paintings, among them several by Leonardo da Vinci.

The holdings were significantly enriched by acquisitions made for the monarchy by Cardinal Richelieu and by Cardinal Mazarin, who was instrumental in purchasing works that had belonged to Charles I of England.

Napoleon deposited in the Louvre the paintings and works of art seized during his European conquests; after his downfall, however, many of these works were restored to their original owners.

Since that time increasing numbers of gifts, purchases, and finds brought back from archaeological expeditions have permanently enriched the museum.

Among its greatest treasures are two of the most famous sculptures of the ancient world, the Nike of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo, and Leonardo's famous portrait, Mona Lisa.

The Louvre also holds works by the other Italian masters Raphael and Titian and paintings by the northern artists Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt.

While you don't need to book for the Louvre, you do need to do so for an evening visit to the Cafe Marly. And as a bonus they speak English too.

Source: Flight Daily News