Louvre

The Louvre is a museum in Paris. It has millions of visitors every year because of its art collection. It is the most visited art museum in the world.

The most famous piece of art in the Louvre is the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Other paintings include works of Rembrandt, Giambattista Pittoni, Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian and Eugène Delacroix.

There are also many statues inside the Louvre. The most famous statues are the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

The 2025 Louvre robbery is under investigation; Two people were arrested (as of October).https://www.nrk.no/urix/to-pagrepet-etter-juveltyveriet-ved-louvre-museet-1.17627093. Retrieved 2025-10-27

 History of the Louvre 
Philip II of France built a castle called the Castle of the Louvre. It used to be where the museum is. They used the castle as a fortress to defend Paris against the Vikings.
Charles V, King of France turned the castle into a palace. However, Francis I, King of France, knocked it down and built a new palace.

Henry IV, King of France added the Grande Galerie to the Louvre. The Grande Galerie is more than a quarter of a mile long and one hundred feet wide. The Grande Galerie was built along the River Seine. It was the longest building in the world.

The building was renovated during François Mitterand's time as French President. The glass pyramid and the inverted pyramid (made famous by The Da Vinci Code, a novel and later a movie) were the work of architect I.M. Pei.

 References 

 Other websites 

Free photos of Louvre 
Fullscreen Virtual Tour by Virtualsweden 
History of the Louvre
Excerpt of Michael T. Cannell's book on I.M. Pei — discusses controversy over Pei's pyramid.
Official École du Louvre website  (Requires Flash)

Category:1793 establishments
Category:1790s establishments in France
Category:Art museums in France
Category:Museums in Paris