Museums in Paris: Pyramide du Louvre (Part 1 of 3)

A while ago, the Musée du Louvre celebrated the 30th anniversary of its iconic Pyramid designed by famed architect I.M. Pei.

The Pyramid at the Louvre, with architect I.M. Pei (from Orissapost.com)

Initially, many Parisians disliked the Pyramid, just as they initially disliked the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur on Montmartre.  As with those other monuments, over time, Paris grew to accept and appreciate the Pyramid and today it is celebrated.

The celebration of the Pyramid's 30th anniversary had many components, including lectures and a temporary art installation.

We attended one of the lectures and learned about the excavation of the courtyard where the pyramid was to located.  

As the project began, a team of archaeologists oversaw the excavation.  They expected to find some ruins and artifacts of houses from the Middle Ages.

Archaeologists in the courtyard of the Louvre during the excavation

In fact, the archaeologists found a lot more and were able to extensively document life in that part of Paris during the Middle Ages and before.  Surprisingly, they discovered an ancient farmhouse from the Gallo-Roman era in the early centuries A.D.

Excavation of the Middles Ages village near the Louvre.

Even more surprisingly, the archaeologists discovered ancient artifacts from the period 5,000-4,500 B.C.

We enjoyed the lecture and learned a lot about the Louvre's history.  

The lecture reminded us of Year 2 in Italy, where we learned that history is sometimes like lasagna--successive layers of history compressed together to make an enjoyable meal.

Next Up:  Artwork celebrating the 30th Anniversary