The Louvre Museum

The Louvre has come a long way in 800 years! Very little remains from the original medieval fortress built in the 1200’s by King Philippe Auguste, although it is possible to see some of the original towers’ foundation inside the museum.

Three centuries later, King François 1st demolished the old Louvre fortress to modernize it with the Renaissance esthetics. The palace was the residence of several Kings until Louis XIV built Versailles in the late 1600’s.

The Louvre became a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution. The Revolutionary government decided works of art belonged to the Nation of Liberty! A good enough reason to help themselves in the mansions of noble families and loot European countries that France was at war with.