MUSEE DU LOUVRE PARIS- FRANCE

The Louvre Museum is the world's largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris, France.

A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's  1st arrondissement [district or ward] .

Approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of  72,735 square metres [782, 910 square feet].

In 2017, the Louvre was the world's most visited art museum, receiving  8,1 million visitors.

The museum is housed in the Louvre palace, originally built as the  Louvre castle in the late  12th to 13th 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.

In 1692, the building was occupied by the Academie  des  Inscriptions er Belles-Lettres and the  Acadenie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which in 1699 held the first of a series of salons.

The Academie remained at the Louvre for 100 years.

During the French revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation's masterpieces.

The museum opened on 10 August 1793, with an exhibition of  537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal.