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Famous French Buildings
Le Musée du Louvre
Le Musée du Louvre, in Paris, is the most visited museum and art gallery in the world.
It was first built in 1190 as a castle. The construction of the existing Louvre began in 1535 after demolition of the old castle.
If you intend to visit the museum by travelling on the Paris underground - le Métro de Paris - then you should stop at the station called Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre.
Some of the most famous and valuable works of art are exhibited in le Musée du Louvre.
The painting called Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is kept there. It is owned by the French Government and is one of the most valuable paintings in the world. In 2009, it was valued at 700 million dollars. In French, the Mona Lisa is called La Joconde.
In 1989, an enormous glass pyramid was completed as part of a new entrance to the building.
The pyramid (la Pyramide du Louvre) was constructed to commemorate the 200th. anniversary of the start of the French Revolution in 1789. It was the first major construction to be made from laminated glass.
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