Across from the Louvre is the Tower of St. Jacques. This Gothic tower is all that remains of the 16th-century Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, “Saint James of the butchers”
Built in the early 1500’s, the tower’s opulent ornamentation reflects the wealth of the church’s patron. The butchers of Les Halles Market.
For more information check out…
There is never enough time to fully explore the Louvre. Over 2.8 million visitors venture through it’s cavernous halls in a year. With over 380,000 objects, something is bound to be missed on your first visit.
A mere 20′ away from the Mona Lisa is this painting of “Flora”.
Paris Bordone was an Italian painter. His paintings of religious themes were created for some of the great churches of the 1500s.
Biagio d’Antonio’s painting of “The Carrying of The Cross” depicts Jesus on his way to Cavalry. In the lower right corner is a woman holding a piece of fabric with Jesus’s face on it. This is known as Veronica’s Veil. Although not mentioned in the Bible, the legend of a woman that wiped the blood and sweat off of Jesus’ face has been retold across the world. This is but one of many representations of the meeting.
In the Egyptian collection, a bronze statue of a cat is on display. This is the Goddess Bastet in her form as a feline. The Goddess certainly has her plate full. She was the Goddess of cats, the sun, the East, fire, love, intoxication, music, dancing, joy, celebration, fertility, secrets, magic, and sex, to name a few of her duties.
For more information check out these links…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Bordone
There are quite a few interesting details on the Facades of The Louvre
Louis XIV was long associated with Apollo, the Greek God of the Sun. This chamber of The Sun King is richly appointed with gold embellishments.
Charles le Brun was the painter to the king and charged with designing the decorations. The ceiling is adorned with a painting of Apollo riding his chariot across the sky.
In addition to the references to Apollo, there are also 28 portrait tapestries of kings and artists who built and embellished the Louvre palace over the centuries.
Travels With Ackbar 