Louvre Palace

• 1. Medieval Fortress Origins

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  In 1190 King Philip II of France ordered the construction of a defensive wall all around Paris. To protect the city, he opted to build the Louvre as a fortress just outside the wall's junction with the Seine on its right bank. The new fortress was completed in 1202 and situated in what is now the southwest quadrant of the Cour Carrée. Some remains excavated between late 1983 and late 1985 are conserved underground today. The original structure was nearly square at seventy-eight by seventy-two meters and enclosed by a 2.6-metre thick crenellated curtain wall. A water-filled moat surrounded the entire structure. On the outside stood ten round defensive towers including one at each corner and two pairs flanking narrow gates. In the courtyard slightly offset to the northeast sat the cylindrical keep known as the donjon or Great Tower of the Louvre. This tower reached thirty meters high and fifteen meters wide with 4-meter-thick external walls. The keep was encircled by a deep dry ditch with stone counterscarps to help prevent scaling of its walls with ladders. Accommodations were supplied by vaulted chambers within the keep plus two wings built against insides of curtain walls. Cylindrical plans avoided dead angles created by square designs allowing attackers approach out of firing range.

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• 2. Renaissance Palace Transformation

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  In 1528 Francis I ordered demolition of the old keep after returning from captivity in Spain following defeat at Pavia. He formally commissioned architect Pierre Lescot and sculptor Jean Goujon to modernize the site into Renaissance style palace work appearing to have started in 1545 since Lescot ordered stone deliveries December that year. Death of Francis I in 1547 interrupted progress but restarted under Henry II who on the 10th of July 1549 ordered changes design. Lescot tore down western wing rebuilding it as what became known as the Lescot Wing ending southern side with Pavillon du Roi. In latter he designed ceiling for Henry II bedroom still largely preserved after relocation 1829 to Colonnade Wing departing French tradition beamed ceilings. Ground floor featured monumental stone caryatids based classical precedents now called Salle des Caryatides. Northern end housed monumental staircase long known as Escalier Henri II with sculpted ceilings attributed Jean Goujon. Early 1560s saw Lescot demolish southern wing starting replacement duplication Lescot Wing plan possibly creating square complex similar size old Louvre not dissimilar Château d'Écouen recently completed Jean Bullant design. All work stopped late 1560s Wars Religion gathered momentum meanwhile Catherine de Medici directed building new residence west outside Wall Charles V beginning 1564.

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• 3. Royal Residence Evolution

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  Charles V transformed Louvre into royal residence first time shortly becoming king 1364 with transformation designed architect Raymond du Temple. Political statement utility project scholar wrote Charles V made Louvre his political manifesto stone referring remarkably discursive monument form architectural rhetoric proclaiming revitalization France years internal strife external menace. Curtain wall pierced windows adding wings elaborate chimneys turrets pinnacles top known pretty Louvre memorably pictured illustration Month October Très Riches Heures Duc Berry. Preferred royal residence Paris became Hôtel Saint-Pol Marais until Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War resulted monarchy leaving Paris altogether. 1420s 1430s Charles VII resided largely Bourges rival English claimant Henry VI representative Duke Bedford generally resided base Rouen while Paris at Hôtel Tournelles. Even after ceremonial entry Paris 1437 effective end Hundred Years War 1453 French monarchs preferred residing Loire Valley Châteaux Palace Fontainebleau when Paris Château Vincennes or Hôtel Tournelles. Meanwhile Louvre Castle left state increasing disrepair even remaining used arsenal prison. Royal family returned reside newly rebuilt complex following Catherine de Medici abandonment Hôtel Tournelles husband Henry II traumatic death July 1559. King court stayed mainly Louvre between 1559 1588 Henry III escaped Paris then 1594 1610 under Henry IV.

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• 4. Napoleonic Expansion Era

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  December 1804 Napoleon appointed Pierre Fontaine architect Tuileries Louvre Fontaine forged strong professional bond slightly younger colleague Charles Percier. Between 1805 1810 Percier Fontaine completed works Cour Carrée left unfinished since 1670s despite Marigny repairs around 1760. They opted equalize northern southern wing attic modeled architecture Colonnade wing removing existing second-floor ornamentation sculptures some Jean Goujon workshop. Cour Carrée Colonnade Wing completed 1808-1809 creating monumental staircase latter's southern northern ends 1807-1811. Created monumental decoration most ground-floor rooms around Cour Carrée retaining including renovation Jean Goujon caryatides. First floor recreated former Lescot Wing partitioned 18th century giving double height creating visitors gallery formerly Lescot Wing attic. Further west created monumental entrance Louvre Museum called since 1804 opening what called Salle des Cariatides abutting Lescot Wing west into Salle des Cariatides monumental room northern end Grande Galerie. Entrance door dominated colossal bronze head Emperor Lorenzo Bartolini installed 1805. Visitors could visit classical antiquities collection Anne Austria rooms redecorated ground floor Cour Carrée southern wing left turn right access Percier Fontaine monumental staircase leading both Salon Carré and Salle des Cariatides formerly first floor replaced 1850s Escalier Daru. Two architects remade interior design Grande Galerie creating nine sections separated groups monumental columns system roof lighting lateral skylights.

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• 5. Second Empire Reconstruction

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  Napoleon III united Louvre Tuileries single coherent building complex plan made Louis Visconti disciple Percier died suddenly December 1853 succeeded early 1854 Hector Lefuel. Lefuel developed Visconti plan higher ornate building concept executing record speed inauguration Emperor the 14th of August 1857 new buildings arranged space then called Cour Napoléon later Napoleon Courtyard. Before death Visconti rearranged Louvre gardens outside Cour Carrée namely Jardin de la Reine south Jardin du Carrousel east Jardin de l'Orangerie north designed Orangerie Jeu Paume western end Tuileries Garden. 1860s Lefuel demolished Pavillon Flore nearly half Grande Galerie reconstructing modified design including passageway known Porte des Lions later now Porte des Lions new for state functions monumental replacing those created 1760 near Pavillon de Marsan. End Paris Commune the 23rd of May 1871 Tuileries Palace burned down also Louvre Imperial Library what now Richelieu Wing rest palace including museum saved efforts troopers firemen museum curators. Ever-resourceful Lefuel led repairs Pavillon Flore between 1874 1879 reconstructed wing hosting Louvre Library 1873 1875 Pavillon Marsan 1874 1879. Bronze Genius Arts Antonin Mercié installed place Antoine-Louis Barye equestrian statue Napoleon III toppled September 1870. Final decision made 1882 executed 1883 forever changing Louvre layout later projects rebuild Tuileries resurfaced intermittently never went very far.

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• 6. Modern Museum Development

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  September 1981 newly elected French President François Mitterrand proposed Grand Louvre plan move Finance Ministry out Richelieu Wing allowing museum expand dramatically. American architect I. M. Pei awarded project late 1983 proposing modernist glass pyramid central courtyard. Louvre Pyramid underground lobby Salle des Cariatides opened public the 29th of March 1989. Second phase Grand Louvre project completed 1993 created underground space below Place Carrousel accommodate car parks multi-purpose exhibition halls shopping mall named Carrousel du Louvre. Daylight provided intersection axes by Louvre Inverted Pyramid humorous reference bigger right-side-up sister upstairs. New spaces reconstructed Richelieu Wing near-simultaneously inaugurated November 1993. Third phase Grand Louvre mostly executed late 1990s involved refurbishment museum galleries Sully Denon Wings much exhibition space freed during project second phase. Renovation Carrousel Garden also completed 2001. Some long unfinished parts Lefuel expansion only completed early 20th century such Decorative Arts Museum Marsan Wing Gaston Redon arch between Pavillon de Flore Pavillon de Marsan designed built 1910-1914.

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• 7. Functional Diversity History

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  Louvre started military facility retaining military uses most history initial rationale 1190 building reinforced fortress western end new fortifications Paris lingering threat English-held Normandy. Next centuries no rationale specific defenses against foreign invasion palace long retained defensive features moats guard political troubles regularly engulfed Paris. Hosted significant arsenal 15th most 16th centuries until transfer 1572 facility now Bibliothèque Arsenal. From 1697 French state collection plans-reliefs stored Grande Galerie occupying all space 1754 about 120 items placed wooden tables used study prepare defensive offensive siege operations fortified cities strongholds represented. In 1777 plans started create museum Grande Galerie plans-reliefs removed Hôtel Invalides where mostly still displayed Musée Plans-Reliefs. Meanwhile collection models ships navy yards initially started naval engineer Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau displayed 1752 1793 next Académie Sciences rooms first floor Lescot Wing formed core maritime museum created 1827 remained Louvre until 1943 now Musée national Marine. During Napoleon III expansion new building program included barracks Imperial Guard North Richelieu Wing Cent-gardes Squadron South Denon Wing.

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