Louvre (Perrault's) Colonnade - Paris, France
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neoc1
N 48° 51.600 E 002° 20.397
31U E 451587 N 5412102
The Colonnade by Claude Perrault’s occupies the easternmost façade of the Palais du Louvre in Paris, France.
Waymark Code: WMH1MZ
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 05/07/2013
Views: 50
The Palais du Louvre is a former royal palace situated on the right bank of he River Seine. It dates back to the medieval period, but its present appearance has evolved in stages since the 16th century. It was the actual seat of power in France until Louis XIV moved to Versailles in 1682.
In 1665, King Louis XIV held a design competition for a design for the eastern façade of the Louvre Palace. The winner was Claude Perrault, triumphing over Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Claude Perrault’s Classical Colonnade was constructed between 1667 and 1670. It was inspired by writing of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, author of treatise The Ten Books on Architecture. Architects Louis Le Vau and artist Charles Le Brun contributed to the completion of the Colonnade.
The façade is divided into five parts. The ground floor basement has paired Corinthian columns with pavilions at the ends. Columns form a colonnade with a central pediment and triumphal arch entrance. It is topped with an Italian balustrade along its flat roof. This design was, at the time, a sharp departure from traditional French architecture.
The stamp was issued in 1947 as part of set of four stamps depicting famous Paris sites issued to commemorate the 12th Congress
of the Universal Postal Union held in Paris from May 7 to July 7, 1947.