Today Elyse tells us about two wonderful museums in Toulouse, the Augustin and the Abattoir Museums in Toulouse. These are two buildings that were re-purposed to be museums but they started out as a convent and a slaughter-house respectively. The Augustins was declared an art museum in 1793, which makes it the first museum open to the public anywhere in France, yes, even before the Louvre! How about that for a provincial city in the south-west of France? And, as a side benefit, it is also one the rare places in France where you can pet a gargoyle. We know you’ve always wanted to do that! The Abattoirs has a gruesome past, but it has been transformed into a peaceful place with a lovely garden near the Garonne River.
As you know, both Elyse and I live in Toulouse, so it’s a place that’s special to our hearts. If you’ve never seen Paris you must visit. But once you’ve seen Paris you really need to see Toulouse and go on a tour with Elyse!
Places mentioned on the show this week: Musée des Augustins in Toulouse and Musée des Abattoirs in Toulouse.
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The Centre Georges Pompidou is one of Elyse’s favorite places in Paris, which may come as a surprise to our listeners because it’s not a visually attractive place by most people’s reckoning. What she loves about it is not only what’s inside of the museum, but also the environment and atmosphere of the place itself. Let’s see if she can sell it to us in this episode!
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Let us take you to the Louvre Museum to explore the best way to visit such a huge museum. Largest number of visitors in the world? Check! Second biggest the world? Check! Stunningly gorgeous? Definitely!
It is true that you could spend a few months in the Louvre Museum looking at everything and still not see it all. But don’t let that intimidate you. We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves in this episode that will save you time and allow you to go to the art you have been longing to see.
If you love our approach to travel and want to tour France with us, visit Addicted to France to look at upcoming tours.
Episode Highlights
Introduction: How did it get so big and famous?
Biggest in the world? Yes and no
The Louvre Museum as a building
Maps, Bathrooms, and Wheelchair Access
What If You Don’t Have Enough Time in Paris?
A Brief History of the Building
1400s through the 1600s
Late 1600s
How the Louvre Became a Museum
Denis Diderot
French Revolution
Under Napoleon
Workshops
Collections
World War II
The most important wings
More on the collections
Annie’s complaint about the Mona Lisa
Get organized! This is how
The Pyramid by I.M.Pei
How to avoid the lines
How Much Time Should you Spend?
The Denon Wing
The Mona Lisa
The Carousel Shopping Mall and Louvre Entrance
Group entrance
Conclusion: don’t skip the Louvre, it is a marvelous experience! By checking out this podcast and preparing your visit, you are doing it right. Decide what art you’re most interested in ahead of time and make sure to see that. It is so big and has such rich collections, that we can say with certainty that there is a great find for everyone at the Louvre Museum!
