A castle under the museum
King Philip II built a fortress here around 1190 to guard Paris. You can still walk around the base of its walls and its moat, in the basement of the Sully wing.
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Louvre: the history, and the fortress in the basement
The world's most visited museum started as a castle to defend Paris, became a palace the kings abandoned for Versailles, and opened to the public in 1793. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for when you get there.
Fortress built≈ 1190
Museum since1793
Pyramid1989, I. M. Pei
Mona Lisa stolen1911
Hear the Louvre story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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The kings moved out
Kings rebuilt the Louvre as a palace from the 16th century, until Louis XIV left for Versailles in 1682. After the Revolution, the palace opened as a public museum in 1793.
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The day the Mona Lisa vanished
In August 1911 a former worker, Vincenzo Peruggia, walked out with the Mona Lisa under his clothes. It was missing for two years and was found in Florence in 1913. The theft is a big part of why it became the world's most famous painting.
TipBefore you go in, stand by the pyramid and look west through the Arc du Carrousel: on a clear day the obelisk of Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe appear in line beyond it. With Urban Tales running, the Louvre's story plays as you reach the pyramid.
Nearby landmarks
Louvre: common questions
How old is the Louvre?
Its oldest part is a fortress from around 1190. It became a public museum in 1793.
When was the Louvre pyramid built?
The glass pyramid by I. M. Pei opened in 1989 as the museum's new entrance.
Was the Mona Lisa ever stolen?
Yes, in 1911, by Vincenzo Peruggia, who had worked at the museum. It was recovered in Florence in 1913.