We know the Louvre in Paris as an art museum. However, it was once a fortress, and the seat of government. Napoleon III lived there. What many people don't know is that his residence is still there, still furnished in the style of the time. And open to museum visitors.
You’ll walk past a a stunning series of staircases on your way to the apartments, but try not to get distracted on your quest. A plaque explains that the rooms you’re about to enter were refurbished during the Second Empire, and were part of what was, at the time, a brand-new wing of the Louvre (built between 1852 and 1857). A tremendous amount of artists, decorators, upholsterers and the like were hired to work on the apartments, which were fashioned in the Louis XIV style. By sheer luck (and a lot of restorative genies), they remain exactly the same: dripping in gold…
The apartments are not crowded with tourists, because they are busy looking at the Mona Lisa with everyone else. Take a tour inside the secret apartments of the Louvre at Messy Nessy Chic.
(Image credit: Mary Frances Knapp)