About the Museum and the Visit
The Louvre Museum, located in the heart of Paris, was originally a medieval fortress built in the 12th century before becoming a residence of the French kings for several centuries. In 1793, following the French Revolution, it opened its doors as a public museum. Today it covers more than 73,000 m² and houses one of the most important art collections in the world, spanning over 9,000 years of history, from ancient civilizations to 19th-century European art.
What to See During the Visit
The guided tour allows you to discover the museum’s must-see masterpieces: the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the Venus de Milo, classical Greek sculptures, and the Seated Scribe from Pharaonic Egypt. Highlights also include the Apollo Gallery, the apartments of Napoleon III, and major French paintings such as Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix, alongside treasures from Mesopotamia and other civilizations of the ancient Near East.
“Painting is silent poetry.” — Leonardo da Vinci
Fun Facts
- Before becoming a museum, the Louvre was a medieval defensive fortress whose foundations can still be visited beneath the current building.
- The Mona Lisa gained worldwide fame after its theft in 1911, an event that drew international attention to the painting.
- The glass pyramid inaugurated in 1989 was highly controversial at the time, but today it is one of Paris’s most recognizable landmarks.