Chelmsford Public Library

Saving Mona Lisa, the battle to protect the Louvre and its treasures from the Nazis, Gerri Chanel

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

mapsillustrations

index present

non fiction

Saving Mona Lisa

1032279877

Gerri Chanel

the battle to protect the Louvre and its treasures from the Nazis

In 1939, curators at the Louvre nestled the world's most famous painting into a special red velvet-lined case and spirited her away to the Loire Valley. So began the biggest evacuation of art and antiquities in history. As the Germans neared Paris in 1940, the French raced to move the masterpieces still further south, then again and again during the war, crisscrossing the southwest of France. Throughout the German occupation, the Louvre's staff fought to keep the priceless treasures out of enemy hands, often risking their lives to protect the country's artistic heritage. This is the sweeping, suspenseful narrative of their battle