Louvre Palace

The Louvre is the former Paris residence of the French kings on the right bank of the Seine and, since 1793, the world's largest art museum, drawing around nine million visitors a year. Construction began in 1190 under Philippe Auguste as a fortress against English attacks; Charles V converted it into a royal residence, and Francis I rebuilt it in Renaissance style, bringing the Mona Lisa to France. After Louis XIV moved the court to Versailles in 1682, the palace lost its courtly role and was opened as a public museum after the French Revolution. I. M. Pei's glass pyramid in the Cour Napoleon, opened in 1989, has served as the central entrance ever since. The collection holds around 35,000 displayed works, including the Venus de Milo, Nike of Samothrace, Mona Lisa and Liberty Leading the People.