I am sure most of you have heard of Le Louvre, it is the most famous and most visited museum in the world and houses the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. It is recognizable by the glass pyramids, but what I have learned is that the pyramids are surrounded by a massive fortress that was once a medieval fortress. It was built by King Philip II back in the 12th century as a defense for the city of Paris.
In the 14th century, Charles V was able to push away the British during the 100 years war and turned the fortress into his living quarters and Palace. It was added to and refurbished over the next hundred years or so. When Louis 14th became king, he moved his residence outside the city into his new palace Versailles in 1682. Louis 14th kept the Louvre to house his treasures, it’s good to king. It was during the French Revolution that the new revolutionary government seized the royal treasures for the people and turned the Louvre into a museum. Napoleon added to it as he tried to conquer the world.
Historically Speaking 