Latest news with #MonaLisa
LeMonde
10 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Louvre: 'We want to find a lasting solution to overcrowding'
At the end of January, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the Louvre's Nouvelle Renaissance project, aimed at creating a new entrance to the museum on the side of the Perrault colonnade, opposite the Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois church, and excavating new galleries beneath the Cour Carrée to move the Mona Lisa there and expand the space for temporary exhibitions. Five months later, the museum is launching an architectural competition, with a budget of €270 million for the contemporary aspects of the project – to which the still undetermined budget for the restoration of heritage elements will be added. An international jury of 21 people will meet on October 7 to select five finalists. The winner will be announced in the first quarter of 2026. What are the key aspects of the architecture competition the Louvre is launching on Friday, June 27?
New York Times
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
France Opens Competition to Expand Overcrowded Louvre
France on Friday started an architectural competition for the daunting task of expanding the Louvre in Paris, in a bid to ease overcrowding at the world's biggest and most visited museum. The project, which will create a new entrance and give the Mona Lisa a new exhibition space, was first announced in January by President Emmanuel Macron. He set the ambitious target of welcoming 12 million visitors per year — three million more than today — while also solving crowd-management headaches at the museum. The architectural competition will be decided by a 21-person international jury, which will choose five finalists in October. A winner will be announced in early 2026, according to the Louvre. Part of the brief is to design a new gallery for the Mona Lisa, the 16th-century masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci that attracts droves of visitors. The museum's management said on Friday that the new exhibition space would be about 33,000 square feet and should also include room to explain the painting's history, its famous 1911 theft, and its modern-day iconic status. 'Our aim is to offer a high-quality encounter with this masterpiece,' Laurence des Cars, the Louvre's president, said in an interview with Le Monde published on Friday, arguing that the space needed to offer 'a genuine time for contemplation.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
NDTV
a day ago
- Science
- NDTV
Leonardo Da Vinci's Helicopter Design Could Make Modern Drones Quieter And Stealthier
A flying machine resembling a helicopter, designed by Leonardo da Vinci, could be used to develop quieter and stealthier modern drones, according to a new study published in the journal Bulletin of the American Physical Society. Famous for his paintings such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, Da Vinci was also an engineer and architect who conceptualised flying machines centuries before any of these machines became a reality for humans. The prototype helicopter called Leonardo's aerial screw was conceived in 1480 and is regarded as the earliest known designs for a lift-generating rotor. Rajat Mittal at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and his colleagues found that the "aerial screw" may require less power to generate the same amount of lift as a conventional drone rotor. "We were surprised," said Mr Mittal, adding: "We went in thinking that because the shape of this spiral screw is just completely, in some sense, ad hoc, it was intuitive that the aerodynamic performance would be so bad that we would not be able to get any improvements over conventional blades." The researchers built a simulation of the device and put it in a virtual wind tunnel to examine how it would perform while hovering in place. They found the aerial screw could generate the same amount of lift while rotating more slowly, meaning it would consume less power. 'The da Vinci propeller produced much less noise for the same given amount of lift being generated," said Suryansh Prakhar, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering who worked on the project. The team is now planning to conduct more simulations to model the propellers' noise levels when the drones are larger and operating at higher speeds. 'We would expect similar results in noise reduction; however, the aerodynamic efficiency of da Vinci's propeller will be lower when compared to a traditional propeller since not all parts of the spiral screw shape can be optimized to produce a similar amount of lift force Modern drones produce a high-pitched buzz sound as the propellers cut through the air. With their use for delivery, emergency response, photography and warfare rapidly increasing, these remotely operated vehicles continue to become bulky and noisy. However, if the study is anything to go by, the drone-making process could be revolutionised.
National Geographic
3 days ago
- National Geographic
These 3 cities near Paris deserve more than a day trip
Paris lures millions of visitors every year, but day trips are a perennially popular diversion. The Chateau of Versailles, mind-blowing in its grandeur, has instant name recognition all over the world. The Chateau of Fontainebleau coddled eight centuries' worth of French monarchs, and its forest was where the world's first-marked hiking trails were born. And Chantilly, equestrian epicenter renowned for its racetrack, is home to France's most important antique art museum, after the Louvre. This trio is within easy reach of the French capital. Located anywhere else, not eclipsed by the City of Light, they'd be places of pilgrimage in their own right. While normally relegated as mere day trips from heart-stealing Paris, these destinations are in fact worthy of more time. (A visit to the Louvre can be a gastronomic adventure—if you know where to look) Chantilly The Chateau de Chantilly gardens were designed by legendary landscaper André Le Nôtre. Painting by Nicolas-Alexandre Barbier via Musée Condé/Bridgeman Images Decimated during the French Revolution, the Chateau de Chantilly—once a flourishing Renaissance masterpiece, complete with gardens by legendary landscaper André Le Nôtre—was restored by the Duke of Aumale in the 19th century. He was an avid connoisseur of fine art, furniture, and manuscripts. The painting masterpieces in his on-site Condé Museum—including 'The Three Graces' by Raphaël—remain exactly as he hung them. Beyond the chateau's grandiose reception rooms, it's worth booking a guided tour of the duke's private apartments—the only princely suites of the July Monarchy that are fully preserved today. The Chateau de Chantilly has 60,000 books within its collection, 19,000 of which are housed within its Reading Room. Photograph by Jon Arnold Images Ltd, Alamy Stocked with 19,000 rare volumes, the library is the kind of place bibliophiles dream about. The collection's pièce de résistance is The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry, the 15th-century prayerbook that's known as the 'Mona Lisa of manuscripts' for its iconic illuminations. After an important restoration, the manuscript is on display until October 5, 2025. (Frites, cockles, and cheese—the best things to eat in Hauts-de-France) 'The manuscript has shaped our imagination of the Middle Ages,' says Mathieu Deldicque, director of the Condé Museum and the Living Horse Museum at the Château de Chantilly. 'Since its acquisition by the Duke of Aumale in 1856, it's the most reproduced manuscript in the world." The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry is a 15th-century prayerbook that's known as the 'Mona Lisa of manuscripts' for its iconic illuminations. Painting by The Limbourg Brothers via Alamy (Top) (Left) and Painting by The Limbourg Brothers via Alamy (Bottom) (Right) Try crème Chantilly at Le Hameau restaurant, nestled inside a cluster of thatched-roof cottages in the chateau's park. (This hamlet inspired Marie Antoinette's rustic playground at Versailles.) Or head to town to l'Atelier de la Chantilly, where you can taste various riffs on the classic (including rose, verbena, and orange blossom-scented whipped cream) or sign up for a culinary workshop. Equine enthusiasts equate Chantilly with the Hippodrome. Dating to the 19th century, the racecourse hosts close to 200 annual races, including the prestigious Prix de Jockey Club and the Prix de Diane, which attract a fashionable, hat-wearing crowd of spectators. De rigueur for horse fans is a visit to the chateau's 18th-century Great Stables, not far from the track. Interior of the chateau's Grand Stables, which is close to the Hippodrome. Photograph by Renaud Visage, Alamy The sprawling structure is said to have been 'superior to the palaces of several kings.' Inside, take a gander at the horses in their stalls before exploring the Living Museum of the Horse. There are regular equestrian shows, or catch a demonstration, when riders are practicing their dressage work. Spend the night at the InterContinental Chantilly, six miles away. The 2024 renovation brought in contemporary decor, though historic touches remain, such as the secret cache inside the original elevator where love letters were hidden. On-site attractions include the wood-paneled library housing the Stradivarus bar, and a spa with an indoor swimming pool. How to get there: Regular SNCF trains depart the Gare du Nord in Paris and arrive at the Chantilly-Gouvieux station about 30 minutes later. From there, a free bus takes you to the chateau, or you can take a taxi. Note that Chantilly is only 20 minutes by car from Charles de Gaulle airport, making it a good stop before or after an international flight. Versailles The Chateau de Versaille's renowned gardens were designed by André Le Nôtre from what had been a swamp. Painting by Pierre Patel via Bridgeman Images The Chateau de Versailles needs no introduction. Louis XIV's jaw-dropping palace spawned copycats all over the globe. Equally as impressive are the garden grounds, fashioned by Le Nôtre from what had been a swamp, and the setting for the king's over-the-top parties. A single trip isn't enough to see it all, and the town itself offers a delightful immersion into the French art de vivre. Browse the Marché Notre-Dame, one of the region's finest food markets. Pop into the La Boutique Royale, brimming with Toile de Jouy fabrics, tableware, and gourmet goodies. Visit the Osmothèque, the world's largest fragrance archive. (4 French royal mistresses who made their mark on history) Above all, don't miss wandering through the historic district of Quartier Saint-Louis. Here you can explore the extraordinary King's Kitchen Garden, created in 1683 to supply the food-obsessed monarch's table with exceptional produce. His appetite for vegetables was legendary, and his agronomist Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie even succeeded in harvesting asparagus in December. Today it's home to the prestigious National School of Landscape, and the geometric gardens perpetuate ancestral horticultural techniques and showcase the art of trellising fruit trees (Louis was a fan). A place of living heritage, it's open to the public for guided tours and seasonal events, and there's also a market and shop featuring cosmetics made from garden ingredients. The gardens of Versailles are replanted around every 100 years. Photograph by Vitor Marigo, Alamy When it comes time to eat, there's a wealth of dining options, from eateries at the palace (Alain Ducasse's Ore in the Pavillon Dufour, La Petite Venise on the Grand Canal) to the town's vibrant restaurant scene, including standouts La Table du 11 and Bistro du 11 by Michelin-starred chef Jean-Baptiste Lavergne-Morazzani. And Xavier Pincemin, once a winner of French Top Chef and adored by celebrities, oversees an eponymous restaurant alongside the popular bistro Lafayette. 'Why not reverse the usual tourism approach? Travelers can base themselves here in Versailles, immersing themselves in the town's French lifestyle, and take the train into Paris when they want,' says Clément Gohin, general manager of Les Lumières, the buzzy hotel which opened in summer 2024 in a hard-to-beat location facing the palace. Housed inside two 17th-century mansions, this Relais & Chateaux hotel's 31 rooms are inspired by the era's famous figures, with chic contemporary design by Didier Benderli. How to get there: Hop on the RER C suburban train in central Paris for the 45-minute trip to the Versailles Château Rive Gauche station. Fontainebleau The Chateau de Fontainebleau exists because the Fontainebleau Forest was the former playground of monarchs who prized it as a royal hunting ground. Painting by Pierre-Denis Martin via Bridgeman Images One of the most splendid chateaux in the entire country sits within 43 miles of Paris. Dating to the 12th century, the 1,500-room Chateau de Fontainebleau reflects the imprint of the 34 kings and two emperors who inhabited it. Napoleon made it a pet project to furnish his favorite property that had been stripped of decor during the French Revolution; the resulting collection of furniture and objets d'art makes it one of the best-furnished chateaux in all of Europe. Napoleon's gold-on-gold throne room is stunning, as is the François I Gallery with Renaissance frescoes, but make sure to spend time in the ballroom, with its coffered ceiling emblazoned with King Henri II's motto. Throne Room redesigned for Napoleon Bonaparte in the Chateau de Fontainebleau. Photograph by Azoor Travel Photo, Alamy The chateau owes its existence to the Fontainebleau Forest. The former playground of monarchs who prized it as a royal hunting ground, it later inspired 19th-century artists like Jean-Francois Millet and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot of the Barbizon School. Former soldier Claude-François Denecourt created the world's first marked walking trails in the forest in 1842. His 60-mile network of 'sentiers bleus' (blue trails) are known today as the Denecourt-Colinet trails. These days, hikers, picnickers, and rock climbers partake in Fontainebleau's arboreal delights. After a forest jaunt, fortify yourself with a pastry by pâtissier Frédéric Cassel. Need more sustenance? La Salamandre offers refined traditional cuisine, Luwei's has a tasty brunch, and Le Viand'art grills prime pieces of meat. Go gourmet at L'Axel, where chef Kunihisa Goto's Japanese-accented French cuisine has drawn a loyal following for more than a decade. Book a room at the Hôtel & Spa Napoléon, just across from the chateau. It's a historic address; the 17th-century building was once a stagecoach stop used by Napoleon. Recently, the hotel emerged from a three-year renovation with 51 rooms and a new Cinq Mondes spa. Empreintes restaurant is festooned with tree branches and foliage in a nod to the nearby Fontainebleau Forest. A practiced mushroom forager, chef Romain Fabry is a fan of the town's excellent market (held Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday mornings), where he sources products from local artisans including Les Petits Pains de Mathilde (bread), Miel Hamette (honey), and the Conserverie de la Forêt (jams). How to get there: Frequent Transilien line R trains connect the Gare de Lyon in Paris and the Fontainebleau Avon station in 40 minutes. On summer weekends, a few trains even make a stop in the middle of the forest for outdoor adventurers to disembark the train. A Franco-American writer based in Paris, Mary Winston Nicklin is a regular contributor to National Geographic. Most recently, she wrote the Louis Braille biography in the July/August 2025 issue of National Geographic History. (website:
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
'Cindy's Law' follows tireless fight by families of Cindy and Mona Smith
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains the names and images of people who have died. This story contains some confronting details about sexual assault. Standing under a large fig tree near the NSW Parliament, Aunty Dawn Smith wipes away tears as she remembers her daughter Cindy and niece Mona as "good girls". "I always wondered what she would have been like today," she said. "What if she got married and had kids? You think of all of these things. I miss them very much." Teenage cousins Murrawarri and Kunja girl Mona Lisa ('Mona') Smith and Wangkumara girl Jacinta Rose 'Cindy' Smith died following a motor vehicle crash near Bourke in 1987. Their families have waged a decades-long fight for justice, with a coroner last year finding the police investigation into the man driving the car was "manifestly deficient" and impacted by racial bias. Now, thanks to their advocacy, a legal loophole that allowed the man to avoid prosecution for interfering with Cindy's body will be closed, nearly 40 years after her death. Cindy's family called this "Cindy's Law". "I'm feeling hurt," Aunty Dawn said, "the justice system failed us". "If we can help anyone, I'm willing to help them and give them advice." The 2024 coronial inquest found 40-year-old non-Indigenous man Alexander Ian Grant was driving the car in which Mona and Cindy were passengers and he was "highly likely" intoxicated. It heard a witness found him after the accident with his arm draped across Cindy's near-naked body. "Horrifyingly, the evidence indicates that Mr Grant sexually interfered with Cindy after she had passed," State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan found. Ms O'Sullivan also found "numerous, significant failings" in the police investigation that led to Grant's acquittal on charges of culpable driving in 1990. "Had two white teenage girls died in the same circumstances, I cannot conceive of there being such a manifestly deficient police investigation into the circumstances of their deaths," she found. Crucially, Ms O'Sullivan noted police prosectors had dropped the charge against Grant of interfering with Cindy's body because they couldn't determine the time at which she died. With Grant dying in 2017, "the perpetrator escaped justice 'due to a loophole'," Cindy's family told the inquest. On Wednesday, the New South Wales Parliament introduced a bill that will enable the prosecution of offenders when it is not clear if an act of sexual violence occurred before or after death. In tabling the bill, NSW Attorney General Michael Daley made note of the family's presence in the chamber and said he was "proud" to be making the reform after their tireless advocacy. "Allowing a perpetrator to escape accountability through such a technicality is clearly unacceptable," he said. "Law reform cannot erase the tragedy of the loss of those two little girls but I'm grateful to have the opportunity to improve the law and make sure that no other offenders avoid justice." The National Justice Project's principal solicitor George Newhouse, who has been acting for the family, said they had long been "let down" by the justice system but felt they had finally been heard. "At least [in] changing the law, in the future someone might be held accountable," he said. "But they were let down, not just by the police, but by the DPP at the time who dropped these charges. "The coroner said if the police had done the investigation properly, there might have been enough evidence to convict the perpetrator at the time. "They just did not care about this family, and that kind of discrimination against First Nations people continues to this day." With no-one held accountable for the botched police investigation, Cindy's sister Kerrie Smith said she wants to see more than an apology from authorities. "We can't get closure now anyway because the bloke who done it, he died, he's gone, he didn't even been in jail for one day," she said. "So he got away with everything where our little girls, my little sister, my cousin died out on the road out there. And he lived his own life." Aunty Dawn agreed an apology is "no good because [the police] only say it, they don't mean it". "I'd like to see something done, get someone to be [held] accountable for not doing their job properly." Julie Buxton, who acted for Cindy's family at the coronial inquest, told ABC News Breakfast the family first made a complaint to the NSW Attorney General back in 1990. "It was absolutely devastating to lose the two girls, but then it was devastating to be caught in a system where the police just did not do their job to an adequate degree," she said. "I think it's a great tribute to the hard work that they have done and a tribute to the love and commitment to their children and to wanting to achieve greater change for others." Mona's sister Fiona Smith told the Indigenous Affairs Team the decades-long legal process brought up "a can of worms" but she is hopeful this legal change will help others. "All I'd like to know is that it will work, that it helps somebody down the track somewhere, and it stops this from happening again." Mr Daley told the Indigenous Affairs Team the reform means a "special verdict" can be granted by a jury where it is unknown whether the offending happened before or after death. It will carry a three-year maximum sentence. "It won't bring them back, nothing can, unfortunately, but it'll mean that this circumstance, which is very rare, can't happen again," told the Indigenous Affairs Team. "It'll shut that unfortunate loophole." Mr Daley acknowledged Cindy and Mona Lisa's families were let down by the justice system over many years. "The whole thing was really poorly handled by a range of people and government entities right from the start," he said. "We've got to learn from those mistakes and help people move on … and make sure it can't happen again." Kerrie Smith said she wants her sister Cindy remembered for the loving sister, daughter and niece she was. "She was a beautiful girl, you know."
