The world's largest museum and a monument to human creativity
The Musée du Louvre is a vast museum on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris's 1st arrondissement. Its buildings have changed over centuries, from a medieval fortress to a royal residence and, after the French Revolution, a public museum. The collection brings together works from many places and periods, including Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman sculpture, Islamic art, European painting and decorative arts. Its scale is part of the experience: a visit is best approached as a choice of galleries rather than an attempt to see everything.
The museum's origins date to August 10, 1793, when the revolutionary government opened the Grande Galerie to the public, transforming what had been the private treasure trove of French monarchs into a museum for all citizens. Over the following two centuries the collection expanded enormously through acquisitions, donations, archaeological expeditions, and — in the Napoleonic era — the spoils of conquest. Today the holdings span from the seventh millennium BC to the mid-nineteenth century, organized across eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Paintings; Sculptures; Decorative Arts; and Prints and Drawings.
Architecturally, the Louvre is a palimpsest of French history. Remnants of Philippe Auguste's late-twelfth-century fortress are still visible in the underground level, while the Renaissance and Baroque wings above reflect centuries of royal building campaigns. The most iconic modern addition is the glass-and-metal pyramid designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, completed in 1989. Initially controversial, the pyramid has become inseparable from the Louvre's identity, serving as the main entrance and flooding the underground lobby with natural light.
No single visit can do justice to a collection this vast. Most first-time visitors focus on the "big three" — the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace — but the museum rewards those who wander further. The Italian and French painting galleries contain masterpiece after masterpiece, the Egyptian wing rivals any collection outside Cairo, and the Islamic Art department, reopened in 2012 beneath an undulating glass-and-metal canopy in the Cour Visconti, presents one of the finest surveys of Islamic civilization in Europe.
Because galleries, entrances and visitor arrangements can change, confirm the current opening calendar, ticket rules, security requirements and any gallery closures on the Louvre's official website before travelling. For a first visit, choose a small number of works or departments in advance and leave time to navigate between them. The official site publishes current visitor guidance and collection information.
The site's story begins around 1190, when King Philippe Auguste built a fortress on the Right Bank to defend Paris against Viking raids and English incursions from the west. The foundations of that original keep — massive stone walls and a circular donjon — survive beneath the present-day Cour Carrée and can be toured in the museum's medieval basement. Over the following centuries, successive monarchs dismantled the fortress and rebuilt it as a royal residence. Charles V transformed it into a comfortable palace in the 1360s, and Francis I demolished the old keep entirely in 1528, commissioning a Renaissance-style wing that set the architectural tone for generations to come.
Louis XIV eventually abandoned the Louvre in favor of Versailles in 1682, and the building fell into relative neglect. Artists, squatters, and the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture occupied its rooms for the next century. The Revolution changed everything: the National Assembly declared the Louvre a public museum, and its doors opened on the anniversary of the monarchy's fall. Napoleon filled the galleries with art requisitioned from across Europe, and though many works were returned after Waterloo, the museum's ambition had been permanently expanded.
The Grand Louvre renovation, launched under President François Mitterrand in 1981, was the most transformative project in the museum's modern history. I.M. Pei's 21-meter-tall glass pyramid, inaugurated in 1989, created a centralized entrance and vast underground reception hall. A second phase, completed in 1993, reclaimed the Richelieu Wing from the Ministry of Finance, nearly doubling the exhibition space. These projects turned the Louvre from a slightly disorganized labyrinth into a coherent, world-class museum complex — while preserving the layered architectural heritage that makes the building itself one of the greatest exhibits on display.
Leonardo's portrait of Lisa Gherardini is displayed in the Salle des États. Its controlled transitions of light and shadow, often associated with sfumato, reward close attention even in a crowded room. Its fame means that visitors should expect a busy viewing area and allow time to move through it respectfully.
Discovered in 1820 on the Greek island of Milos, this Hellenistic marble sculpture is widely considered one of the finest surviving examples of ancient Greek art. Standing 2.04 meters tall, the figure is believed to represent Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Her missing arms — the subject of endless speculation — paradoxically heighten the statue's power, lending it an air of mystery. She is displayed on the ground floor of the Sully Wing.
Perched atop the Daru staircase at the junction of the Denon and Sully wings, this monumental marble sculpture depicts Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, alighting on the prow of a warship. Carved from Parian marble and originally erected on the island of Samothrace to commemorate a naval triumph, the figure's windswept drapery and dynamic forward thrust make it one of the supreme achievements of Hellenistic sculpture. The dramatic staircase placement amplifies its impact immeasurably.
Delacroix's monumental canvas commemorates the July Revolution of 1830, when Parisians overthrew King Charles X. The allegorical figure of Marianne strides over a barricade of fallen bodies, brandishing the tricolor flag in one hand and a bayoneted musket in the other. Part reportage, part myth-making, the painting became the defining image of French republican identity and later inspired the design of the Statue of Liberty. It hangs in the Denon Wing's Room 700.
Measuring nearly 70 square meters, this colossal painting is the largest in the Louvre and hangs directly opposite the Mona Lisa — yet many visitors walk past it entirely. Veronese depicts the biblical miracle at the wedding feast in Cana as a lavish Venetian banquet, populated by over 130 figures including portraits of contemporary rulers, artists, and the painter himself. The luminous palette, theatrical composition, and sheer ambition of scale make it one of the great spectacles of Renaissance painting.
Visitor numbers and entry arrangements vary by day and season. Check the official site's live guidance before choosing an arrival time or entrance; allow extra time for security and for walking between galleries. A quieter time cannot be guaranteed.
Ticket prices, eligibility for free admission and booking requirements can change. Use the Louvre's official ticketing information for the date of your visit; this independent guide does not sell tickets or guarantee entry.
Trying to see everything in one visit can be tiring. Pick a theme, a wing or a short list of works, and check the museum's current map and route suggestions before you arrive. Build in time to pause: the building itself is part of the visit.
The closest Métro station is Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre, served by Lines 1 and 7. Exit and follow signs for the Carrousel du Louvre. Bus routes 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, and 95 all stop nearby. If arriving by RER, use the Châtelet–Les Halles station on Lines A, B, and D, a short walk through the underground shopping complex.
Use the Louvre's official visitor pages to check opening information, current ticket rules and access details before your visit.
Check the Louvre's Official Website