The Richelieu Wing
The Richelieu Wing
It was President François Mitterrand who took the decision to transfer the offices of 5,000 civil servants of the Ministry of Finance from the north wing of the Louvre palace to Bercy (in the east of Paris). This liberated 22,000 m² of exhibition area, and initiated the second stage of the project.
The Richelieu Wing was inaugurated by President Mitterrand on 18th November 1993, the date of the Louvre museum's bicentenary.
The Richelieu Wing houses the following collections: French sculptures, around two roofed courtyards (cour Marly and cour Puget); and the first part of the itinerary of Oriental Antiquities and Islamic Art, notably with the cour Khorsabad. The first floor is dedicated to Objets d'art; the second floor includes Flemish and Dutch paintings, that benefit from a new natural lighting system. On the same floor starts the itinerary of French paintings. Two cafés and various documentation rooms are also available to the public.
