The Louvre began in the late 12th century as a fortress, built by King Philip II to defend Paris. In the 14th century it became a royal residence, and in 1546 Francis I began rebuilding it in the French Renaissance style. The museum opened on August 10, 1793, with 537 paintings.
Its courtyards tell the story of the building's growth: the Cour Carrée, the Perrault Colonnade, and the Cour Napoléon, where I. M. Pei's glass pyramid, part of a plan from 1984, marks the entrance hall below. The Richelieu Wing, opened in 1993, was the museum's largest single expansion. Traces of the medieval fortress can still be seen in the basement.
The Louvre now shows art across about 782,900 square feet (72,735 sq m) of galleries, described as the largest museum in the world. It drew 9.0 million visitors in 2025, and it is closed on Tuesdays.
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