In 1190, a fortress was built on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris to guard the waterway and protect the city. It later became known as the Louvre.

In 1200, the Louvre was initially built as a military fortress by King Philip August II to protect Paris from external threats. It had high walls, defense towers, and a central tower overlooking the River Seine.

In 1214, the Louvre served as a high-security prison where the king kept treasures, kingdom archives, and notable prisoners like Ferdinand, Count of Flanders. It also symbolized the king's power over the Church.

By 1300, the Louvre transitioned into a castle and became the official residence of the King, offering a vacation home with green gardens. It provided a safe haven for the King amidst political unrest in Paris.

In 1317, the Royal Treasury was relocated to the Louvre, signifying a shift in the administrative functions of the royal residence.

In 1364, under King Charles V, the Louvre transformed into a Royal Palace with embellishments by architect Raymond du Temple. It became a symbol of royal power and sophistication in Paris.

In about 1365, Charles V relocated the royal residence from the IÎle de la Cité to the Louvre, repurposing it with elaborate features like ornate rooftops, carved windows, spiral staircases, and a grand garden.

After Da Vinci's death in 1519, Francis I acquired the Mona Lisa, which later became part of the Louvre's permanent collection after the French revolution.

In 1546, Francis I commenced the renovation of the Louvre fortress, converting it into a lavish residence. This marked a significant shift in the Louvre's role, establishing it as the central hub of the French government.

The Lescot Wing of the Louvre was constructed in 1576.

By 1600, the Louvre expanded to include an immense garden under the reign of Catherine de Medici. The garden provided a peaceful retreat for the Queen and added to the beauty of the Louvre.

In 1682, Louis XIV decided to move to the Palace of Versailles, leaving the Louvre as a space to showcase the royal collection.

In 1692, the Louvre was occupied by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres and the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which remained there for a century.

Antonio Canova's Neoclassical masterpiece 'Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss' was created in 1787 and is a notable work in the Louvre's sculpture collection.

On August 10, 1793, the Louvre Museum officially opened to the public with an exhibition featuring 537 paintings, following the decree by the National Assembly during the French Revolution.

The Prints and Drawings Department at the Louvre was officially opened on August 5, 1797, with 415 pieces displayed in the Galerie d'Apollon. The collection includes works from the Royal Collection, state appropriations, purchases, and donations.

Napoleon reopened the museum and expanded the collection in 1801, renaming it Musée Napoléon.

In 1814, when Napoleon's rule ended, almost 5,000 artworks were returned to their countries of origin, and the Louvre reverted to its original name.

After the French defeat at Waterloo, former owners of looted works sought their return at the Louvre. The administrator, Denon, hesitated to comply without a treaty of restitution. Foreign states sent emissaries to London for help, leading to the return of many pieces, including agreements with the Austrian government.

In 1819, an exhibition of manufactured products was opened in the first floor of the Cour Carrée's southern wing at the Louvre. This exhibition remained there until the mid-1820s, showcasing various products.

The Dendera zodiac, like the Rosetta Stone, was acquired by France in 1821, before the Egyptian Anti-export legislation of 1835. Egypt claims ownership of the zodiac, but the Louvre administration argues in favor of retaining it.

In 1824, Michelangelo's Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave were introduced to the Louvre's sculpture department, marking a significant addition to the collection.

In 1825, the Durand collection's acquisition added ceramics, enamels, and stained glass to the Objets d'art collection of the Louvre, enriching the department's holdings.

In 1826, Charles X created the Musée Égyptien at the Louvre as part of his broader Musée Charles X. This new section of the museum complex was located in lavishly decorated rooms on the first floor of the South Wing of the Cour Carrée, curated by Jean-François Champollion.

In December 1827, the French Navy created an exhibition of ship models at the Louvre, initially named musée dauphin. This collection later evolved into the Musée national de la Marine, showcasing naval history.

In 1847, Léon Laborde took control of the Louvre's sculpture department and expanded the collection by developing the medieval section and acquiring statues like King Childebert and sculptures like stanga door.

Emperor Napoleon III aimed to transform the Louvre into a prestigious palace by reuniting it with the Tuileries Palace. His vision was to make the Louvre the most prestigious palace of the arts.

The Campana collection in 1862 brought gold jewelry and maiolicas from the 15th and 16th centuries to the Louvre's decorative arts department, enhancing its treasures.

In May of 1871 during the Paris Commune, the Tuileries Palace was set on fire, leading to a two-day raging fire that destroyed much of the palace's interior, including priceless artworks and furnishings.

In 1911, the Mona Lisa painting was stolen from the Louvre, leading to increased security measures and the installation of bullet-proof glass around the painting.

The Mona Lisa, stolen in 1911, was recovered in 1913, leading to the return of the iconic painting to the Louvre.

On August 25, 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, the Louvre evacuated its artworks to safe locations across France to protect them from the threat of war and potential Nazi occupation. This operation was led by director Jacques Jaujard and curator Rose Valland.

In August 1939, the Louvre conducted an elaborate plan to evacuate its art collection to various chateaus in France to protect them from potential damage during the war. The Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Venus de Milo were among the artworks moved to different locations.

During World War II, the Nazis reopened the Louvre in Paris after occupying the city. Despite valuable pieces being hidden, the museum was nearly empty with only hard-to-move sculptures left behind, many covered in burlap. The Nazis used six rooms to catalogue and ship confiscated art from wealthy French families, many of whom were Jewish.

Following the liberation of France in early 1945, the art that was evacuated from the Louvre during World War II began to return to the museum. This marked the restoration of the Louvre's collection after the war.

In 1947, the ceiling ornaments by Edmond Guillaume were removed from the Salle des Etats at the Louvre, where the Mona Lisa was first displayed in 1966. This signified a shift in decorative practices at the museum.

In 1981, French President François Mitterrand proposed the Grand Louvre plan as part of his Grands Projets. The plan aimed to restructure the Louvre building, relocating the Finance Ministry to dedicate more space to the museum.

In 1986, all post-1850 works from the Louvre's sculpture department were relocated to the new Musée d'Orsay as part of the Grand Louvre project.

In 1988, the Louvre underwent a renovation plan known as the Grand Louvre, which included the installation of the Louvre pyramid.

On March 29, 1989, the iconic Louvre Glass Pyramid was inaugurated, becoming a modern architectural addition to the historic Louvre Museum in Paris.

On March 30, 1989, the underground lobby of the Louvre with a glass pyramid entrance, designed by I. M. Pei, was opened to the public. This marked a significant architectural addition to the Louvre.

On November 18, 1993, François Mitterrand inaugurated the renovated North (Richelieu) Wing as part of the Grand Louvre plan. This expansion, designed by I. M. Pei and others, was the largest in the museum's history.

The construction of Louvre Abu Dhabi began in 1996. The museum is a collaboration between France and the United Arab Emirates, showcasing art and artifacts from around the world.

A selection of highlights from the collections of what would become the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac was installed on the ground floor of the Pavillon des Sessions at the Louvre in 2000, six years ahead of the Musée du Quai Branly itself.

The gypsothèque of the Louvre, a collection of plaster casts, was brought under the Louvre's management in 2001.

President Jacques Chirac created a new department of Islamic Art at the Louvre by executive order on 1 August 2003, moving the corresponding collections to a more prominent site in the Denon Wing.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin announced the selection of a former mining site in the town of Lens as the location for the Louvre-Lens project in November 2004.

Japanese architects SANAA and landscape architect Catherine Mosbach were chosen in September 2005 to design the museum building and garden for the Louvre-Lens project.

In 2006, under the leadership of Director Henri Loyrette, the Louvre underwent policy changes allowing it to lend and borrow more works. This led to collaborations with other museums and increased international exchanges.

German painter Anselm Kiefer was invited to create a work for the North stairs of the Perrault Colonnade at the Louvre in 2007, marking the museum's reengagement with contemporary art.

In 2009, the Louvre returned five Egyptian fragments of frescoes to Egypt. These fragments were acquired in good faith from private collections, but were later identified as belonging to the tomb of origin.

American painter Cy Twombly completed a new ceiling for the Salle des Bronzes at the Louvre in 2010, as a counterpoint to George Braque's installation in the adjacent Salle Henri II.

A new section for Islamic Art and Roman-era Eastern Mediterranean collections opened at the Louvre on 22 September 2012, with financial support from the Al Waleed bin Talal Foundation.

President François Hollande inaugurated the Louvre-Lens in December 2012, which showcases roughly 200 artworks from the Louvre on a rotating basis in a unique exhibition space.

In 2013, the Louvre announced plans to move over 250,000 works of art to a storage area in Liévin. The project, estimated at €60 million, will be a joint effort between the region and the Louvre.

The Decorative Arts section on the first floor of the Cour Carrée's northern wing at the Louvre opened on 6 June 2014 after comprehensive refurbishment.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi, a separate entity from the Louvre, was inaugurated in November 2017, featuring a contractual relationship allowing the Emirati museum to use the Louvre name and exhibit artworks from the Louvre.

In March 2018, an exhibition of artworks and relics from the Louvre Museum was opened to visitors in Tehran as part of an agreement between Iranian and French presidents.

On the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death, the Louvre held the largest ever single exhibit of his work from October 2019 to February 2020, showcasing over a hundred items including paintings, drawings, and notebooks.

Under the direction of Jean-Luc Martinez, the Louvre inaugurated a new contemporary art commission, L'Onde du Midi by Venezuelan kinetic artist Elias Crespin in January 2020.

In 2021, Laurence des Cars was selected as the director of the Louvre, becoming the first woman to hold this position.

A special VIP tour lasting 2 hours at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The Louvre, originally a fortress and royal residence, has a long history dating back to the 12th century. It evolved into one of the most famous museums in the world, showcasing art collections from the 16th century and expanding over the centuries.

The Louvre museum will host yoga classes as part of the activities during the Paris Olympics.

Plans are underway to upgrade the display of the famous 'Mona Lisa' painting, including moving it to a separate room underground.

The iconic painting 'Liberty Leading the People' has been restored and returned to the Louvre museum.