The building stands over a length of 100 metres, clinging to the sheer flank of the Monaco Rock, and rises from sea level to over 250 feet.
The plans drawn by the architect Paul Delefortrie (1843-1910) were carried out by the contractors Fontana and Gamba. The two upper floors, reserved for the Museum itself have an identical layout: a square central part, twenty metres in length, surrounded by two symmetrical wings, 120 feet long and 45 feet wide.
The materials used are white limestone from la Turbie and, for special interest features (pillars on the facade and inside, monumental staircase), marble from Brescia.
The central topic of all the decoration, on the facade as well as inside the room, is the sea and the creatures living in it.
The Museum opened on 29 March 1910, after eleven years of work. Its successive directors have been Dr. Jules Richard, the Price's assistant, from 1900 to 1945; Captain Jules Rouch from 1945 to 1957; Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau from 1957 to 1988. It is presently headed by Professor Jean Jaubert.
Today, the Museum welcomes almost one million visitors a year.
Art and Science
According to the founder's wishes to associate art with the sciences, the Museum both outside and inside, is adorned with many items made by the best artists and craftsmen of the time. They depict marine creatures, seascapes or various symbolical figures of the marine world.
Thus, on the facade, we can see two large allegorical sculptures, bas-reliefs and the names of the main oceanographic ships of the 19th century.
Inside, the woodwork, chandeliers, furniture and decoration elegantly recall the marine elements.
Locals hypothesize that the legacy of Italian blood and culture in Cologne, colonized by the Romans more than 1500 years ago, makes the people more jovial and lighthearted. Cologne is the largest city on the Rhine.
Kolsch is not only the dialect spoken here but, also the name of their own top-fermented beer. There are more than 4,000 pubs, restaurant's and brewery taverns in Cologne.
Unlike many of the world's large cities, Cologne, with a population of over a million, gets better every day, there are more things to do and see, more new and innovative buildings... more
Travel is an opportunity to learn, whether geography, languages, history or other subjects.
Cologne is situated on the beautiful Rhine River.