"The Louvre, or the Louvre Museum is a national art museum in Paris, France. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement (district or ward) and home to some of the most canonical works of Western art, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the Medieval Louvre fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. Due to urban expansion, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary residence of the French Kings.

"The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property. Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed from 1796 until 1801. The collection was increased under Napoleon and the museum was renamed Musée Napoléon, but after Napoleon's abdication, many works seized by his armies were returned to their original owners. The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second French Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces. Holdings have grown steadily through donations and bequests since the Third Republic. The collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings.

"The Musée du Louvre contains more than 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments with more than 60,600 square metres (652,000 sq ft) dedicated to the permanent collection. The Louvre exhibits sculptures, objets d'art, paintings, drawings, and archaeological finds. At any given point in time, approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are being exhibited over an area of 72,735 square metres (782,910 sq ft). With over 7.8 million visitors in 2022, the Louvre is the world's most-visited museum." (Wikipedia)

"The Louvre began as a fortress with thick defensive walls, built in 1190 during the reign of Philippe Auguste. It became a royal residence in 1364 and was modified over the centuries according to changing styles and royal preferences. The Grande Galerie was built between 1595 and 1610, during the reign of Henri IV. In 1791, during the French Revolution, it was decreed that the Louvre should become a museum of the arts. The Muséum Central des Arts was inaugurated in 1793, and thereafter the palace was increasingly given over to the museum collections and their display to the public," the official website says.

"From 1981 to 1989, the Pyramid project focused on putting visitors at the heart of the museum and its collections. The Department of Islamic Art was inaugurated in 2012 and the Department of Byzantine and Eastern Christian Art was created in 2022.

"The Louvre is a universal museum with nine curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities; Paintings; Sculptures; Decorative Arts; Prints and Drawings; Islamic Art; and now Byzantine and Eastern Christian Art. Some 33,000 works of art are on display, including world-famous masterpieces such as the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Seated Scribe, the Winged Bulls of Khorsabad, the Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s Slaves, and parts of the palace, such as the Napoleon III Apartments, are works of art in their own right."

The Louvre, Paris

"By size, The Louvre, in Paris, France is the largest museum on Earth, with nearly 73,000 square metres of exhibition space.

"By reputation, it's also one of the best and holds works from antiquity to the 19th Century, including the world-famous Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa," the Google Arts and Culture says.

"The largest art museum in terms of total area is the Louvre in Paris, France, which covers 360,000 m² (3,875,000 sq ft) on the Right Bank of the River Seine. Of this, 86,000 m² (925,700 sq ft) is open to the public and includes a shopping precinct, restaurants and cafes, and the collection occupies a display area of 70,000 m² (753,470 sq ft)," the Guinness World Records says.

"The 2019 Louvre report documents the collection size at 615,797 items, nearly 35,000 of which are on permanent display to the public. The central Paris landmark - a former palace, located in the 1st arrondissement - is the most visited art museum in the world, admitting 9.6 million visitors during 2019. The Louvre also holds the record for the largest palace used as a museum."

"The Louvre, located in Paris, France, is the largest art museum in the world with an area size of 782,910 square feet. This museum is considered a historic monument in Paris and is part of the Louvre Palace, which was built in the 12th century," the World Atlas says.



"This building first served as a fortress before becoming a royal residence in 1546. Under King Louis XIV in 1692, this palace was used to house two art academies and 100 years later, the Louvre Museum was opened with 537 paintings.

"Today, it is home to around 38,000 pieces. The Louvre is also the most visited museum in the world, receiving 7.4 million visitors every year."

"Louvre, in full Louvre Museum or French Musée du Louvre, official name Great Louvre or French Grand Louvre, national museum and art gallery of France, housed in part of a large palace in Paris that was built on the right-bank site of the 12th-century fortress of Philip Augustus. It is the world’s most-visited art museum, with a collection that spans work from ancient civilizations to the mid-19th century," the Britannica says.

"In 1546 Francis I, who was a great art collector, had this old castle razed and began to build on its site another royal residence, the Louvre, which was added to by almost every subsequent French monarch. Under Francis I, only a small portion of the present Louvre was completed, under the architect Pierre Lescot. This original section is today the southwestern part of the Cour Carrée.

"The Louvre ceased to be a royal residence when Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles in 1682. The idea of using the Louvre as a public museum originated in the 18th century. The comte d’Angiviller helped build and plan the Grande Galerie and continued to acquire major works of art. In 1793 the revolutionary government opened to the public the Musée Central des Arts in the Grande Galerie."

"The Louvre is home to more than half a million works. At any one time 35,000 of them are on display. This magnificent museum is the most important symbol of the cultural influence of France through the centuries. That's why so many millions of people flock to The Louvre from around the world, making it the most visited art museum on earth. On your visit, you will experience first hand the finest works of art created by the most celebrated artists. Leonardo's inscrutable 'Mona Lisa' is prime among them, the most famous painting there is," the Come to Paris says.

"You'll gasp at Delacroix's 'Liberty Leading the People', a landmark work that, in part, defines French culture. You will see the Venus de Milo and gaze in wonder at the Winged Victory of Samothrace. These astonishing works might be sufficient for any other museum's collection. At The Louvre, they are just the start. Turn a corner, look up and you will see a colourful abstract ceiling by Georges Braque. In the Egyptian galleries, there's one of the best preserved Egyptian Mummys in existence. A daring vision of naked women in a Turkish bath is depicted by Ingres.

"There's Michelangelo's heart-breaking sculpture 'The Dying Slave'. The Louvre's collections cover all of the movements in the entire history of art, from ancient times to the nineteenth century. Quite simply, this is the greatest collection of art you'll ever see. Leonardo da Vinci, Vermeer, Rembrandt and so many more: all of their masterpieces await you in this extraordinary and beautiful place."

"Who has not heard of this museum, which has everything. When we go to Paris, my wife and I visit the Louvre. There is always something new to see: paintings, statues, other ancient artifacts. If you want to learn more about history, Louvre Museum is a "MUST"."

"So beautiful and amazing. I love love everything about this place. I visited this place while on business trip but felt like a vacation."

"Amazing museum, loads to see and really enjoyable. Managed to see the main artefacts. Would love to have spent much longer inside but was final day and after queueing only had 2 hours. Book before, get there really early or get ready to queue."

"eing in Paris is as exciting as seeing the Louvre Pyramid. The structure and architectural essence of the courtyard is quite astonishing."

"This museum is really incredible !! I hope to return to this museum when i will return to Paris. 5 stars."

"Great museum with so much to see.Remember to buy your tickets before.This museum is very busy,its really wide and beautiful.
If you love art then come here ."

"No one would like to miss Louvre, nor did we. In fact our first activity in Paris was Louvre Museum, Always buy tickets in advance to save time and just roam as much inside as possible. You need lots and lots time inside. We spent about 3 hours there and had a good overall view of the museum including famous Mona Lisa painting."

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