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Photo: D4m1en, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A monument to the French art de vivre, housed in a 19th-century wing of the Louvre that has been restored to beaux-arts splendour, its galleries and period rooms showcase eight centuries of Gallic taste in interior decoration.
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is a museum in Paris, France, dedicated to the exhibition and preservation of the decorative arts. Located in the city’s 1st arrondissement, the museum occupies the Pavillon de Marsan and the adjacent part of the north-western wing of the Palais du Louvre, along the Rue de Rivoli. With approximately one million objects in its collection, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is the largest museum of decorative arts in continental Europe. It is one of three museums operated by the non-profit arts association MAD, founded in 1882.
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Théâtre-Français, La maison de Molière
The theatre is one of the rare state theatres in France. The company's primary venue is the Salle Richelieu. It was enlarged and modified in the 1800s, then rebuilt in 1900 after a severe fire. The played repertoires sum to around 3,000 works.
Ordered by Cardinal de Richelieu (1585-1642), King Louis XIII's prime Minister in 1629 (completed in 1636); originally called Palais Cardinal; it became Le Palais Royal when Anne d'Autriche, Louis XIII's wife, came to live here to get away from the Louvre palace. It eventually housed Louis XIV until the move to Versailles. It includes also a beautiful garden Les jardins du Palais Royal, enclosed by the buildings. It's been the theatre of one of the seminal events of the French Revolution (Camille Desmoulins made a famous declaration here in 1789). The Théatre Français nearby was built in 1716. There are numerous restaurants inside the garden, including famous Le Grand Véfour. There's also the controversial Colonnes de Buren, striped columns installed within the inside yard amid the 17th century architecture.
Its exhibits come from such diverse origins as ancient Egypt, classical Greece and the Roman Empire, medieval Europe, and Napoleonic France, but controversially including many items that were looted from their places of origin. Its most famous exhibit, of course, is Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa (French: La Joconde, Italian: La Gioconda), generally to be found surrounded by hordes of camera-flashing tourists. The Louvre poses many of the same challenges to the visitor as Paris itself; overwhelming in size, crowded in high seasons, and much information available only in French. If you want to see everything in the Louvre, plan at least two full days. However, it is better to pick and choose, as the collection was assembled with an eye to completeness rather than quality. As of July 2019, due to intense crowding and reports of ticket fraud, entry now almost always requires a pre-booked timed ticket, even for holders of the Paris Museum Pass.
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain
The Fondation Cartier's new Paris premises, which are in a Haussmannian building dating from 1855 at number 2 Place du Palais-Royal, have been completely remodelled by architect Jean Nouvel. Check website for details of exhibitions.
Built adjoining the now-lost royal palace of the Tuileries, these gardens lying immediately west of the Louvre offer a central open space for Parisians and visitors with semi-formal gardens (an outdoor gallery for modern sculpture), various cafés, ice cream and crépe stalls, and a summer fun fair. The gardens are frequently home to a giant Ferris wheel and enclose the Musée de la Orangerie and the Jeu de Paume.
The little brother of the original Musée en Herbe in the Bois de Boulogne, this museum is also geared to children. They have games and hands-on exhibits, so you won't have to supervise quite as closely as in other museums. Arts workshops are available as well, but you'll need to reserve a space in advance.