On the right bank of the Seine in the center of Paris rises a magnificent baroque palace complex with a grand collection of masterpieces of the art of ancient and Western European civilization. This is the world-famous Louvre Museum.

Creation history and interesting facts
Before becoming the largest in the world, the palace experienced many tragedies, intrigues, plots and rebellions. At various times it has served as a medieval fortress, royal residence and people’s assembly. The formation of the complex is inextricably linked with the history of France.

At the end of XII century on the initiative of king Philip II Augustus a fortress intended to protect Paris from invasion of Normans and Englishmen was erected. The construction was a cylindrical tower, surrounded by safe high walls with massive gates. The medieval feudal castle was called Louvre, which means “to be on guard” in Frankish. It housed the treasury, valuable archives and a prison.

Over time, Paris grew larger. The emergence of new buildings around the fortress contributed to the substantial transformation of the Louvre. Finding itself in the center of the city, the castle lost its defensive value. In the XIV century, the monarch Charles V transformed the gloomy citadel into a royal residence. New towers were built, luxurious gardens were laid out and pompous royal apartments were arranged. Harsh winters, famine, plague epidemics, peasant uprisings and wars with England left the residence of the French kings in a miserable state for many years.

Throughout the XV century the Louvre was in disrepair. The monarchs lived far from the capital. Radical changes occurred in the 16th century, when Francis I ascended the throne of France, who returned the royal residence to Paris. The castle was completely rebuilt in the Renaissance style. In place of the medieval towers and walls, the long construction of the palace begins with new wings, an inner courtyard, an arcade gallery, enlarged state rooms, a covered arcade and decorated facades.

Reconstruction of the Louvre was suspended for some time when, in 1682, King Louis XIV decided to move his residence to Versailles (a suburb of Paris). Although the building remained unfinished, the royal apartments housed French painters, sculptors, scholars, and itinerant merchants. Since 1699, the palace began to host art exhibitions for the privileged nobility.

After the French Revolution, the Louvre became a cultural property of the people. The first art museum of France was opened there. Henceforth Parisians could admire the masterpieces of art from the royal collection. The complex became available for public viewing. During the reign of Napoleon I the Louvre was enriched with new works of art, confiscated from nobility, emigrants and clergy. The military victories of the emperor enriched the complex with unique exhibits taken out by French troops from conquered countries.

Royal Palace
Over several centuries, the Louvre Royal Palace, a symbol of the French state, has been repeatedly rebuilt and expanded. Each monarch contributed his own adjustments to the external appearance of the architectural complex. The modern look of the palace acquired in 1871. The perimeter is more than 1.5 kilometers.

The architectural ensemble consists of three main buildings. One wing runs along the Seine quay, the other runs parallel to Rue de Rivoli. In the center is a square building with an inner courtyard. The facades are decorated with magnificent arcades, colonnades with ornate capitals, pilasters, relief images, balustrades, semicircular and triangular pediments and numerous sculptural statues.

Creation of the collection
King Francis I laid the foundations for the Louvre’s first art collection. Having visited Italy, the monarch was fascinated by the splendor of the achievements of Renaissance culture. He brought to France many paintings and sculptures that conveyed the idea of man’s eternal striving for perfection. In 1517, Francis I invited the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci to France.

The king gave the master a warm welcome and appointed him chief court painter. After the death of the genius Leonardo, 19 of his paintings were left in the Louvre, among which the most famous painting was the portrait of Mona Lisa. The royal collection was constantly replenished with artistic masterpieces glorifying the power of the monarchy. Especially zealous connoisseurs of works of art were the great French ministers of different ages: Richelieu, Mazarin and Colbert.

They were generous with their purchases of paintings from all over the world. Since the 19th century archaeologists, who actively worked in Egypt and the Middle East, contributed to the Louvre’s collection. Were brought unique ancient artifacts, manuscripts and ancient statues.

Louvre today
The internal area of the museum is 60,000 square meters. Each year the attraction of the French capital is visited by more than 8 million tourists. The museum collection is represented by 370,000 exhibits, dispersed in the buildings of the palace complex. Today the Louvre is one of the largest museums in the world. The palace has a rich collection of works of art from antiquity to the mid XIX century. The Louvre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.