Courtyard of the Louvre

The Musée du Louvre is the world's largest museum and a historic monument in Paris. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine 1st arrondissement (district). Approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 782,910 square feet). The Louvre is the world's second most visited museum after the Forbidden City in Beijing, receiving 7.4 million visitors in 2016. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. Due to the urban expansion of the city, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function and, in 1546, was converted by Francis I into the main residence of the French Kings. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In 1682, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation's masterpieces. (Source: Wikipedia)