History
The Louvre, in its successive architectural metamorphoses, has dominated
central Paris since the late 12th century. Built on the city's western
edge, the original structure was gradually engulfed as the city grew.
The dark fortress of the early days was transformed into the modernized
dwelling of François I and, later, the sumptuous palace of the Sun King,
Louis XIV. Here we explore the history of this extraordinary edifice
and of the museum that has occupied it since 1793.