Louvre

The world's largest museum

With an exhibition area of 72,735 m², the Louvre Museum is the largest museum in the world and, with around 9 million visitors annually, also the most visited. It is located in the heart of Paris in the 1^st arrondissement on the right bank of the Seine. 

History of the palace and the museum

The Louvre Palace was built at the end of the 12^th century as a fortress and became the royal residence in 1364. Its current appearance dates mainly from the 17^th and 19^th centuries and combines various architectural styles. The art collection was started in the 14^th century by Duke Jean de Berry and expanded by King Francis I with works by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. It was not until the French Revolution that the Louvre opened its doors as a public art museum on 10^th August 1793. 

Collection

Today, the collection comprises some 500,000 objects, including Greek and Roman sculptures, Egyptian mummies, Assyrian reliefs, Renaissance painters, and the French crown jewels. Particularly famous are Leonardo da Vinci's “Mona Lisa,” the Hellenistic sculpture “Venus de Milo,” and the painting “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugène Delacroix.

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