The Louvre Palace, often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois. Originally a defensive castle, it has served numerous government-related functions in the past, including intermittently as a royal residence between the 14th and 18th centuries. It is now mostly used by the Louvre Museum, which first opened there in 1793.
West wing of the Louvre's Cour Carrée with the Pavillon de l'Horloge
North wing of Louvre facing main courtyard
Aerial view of the Louvre Palace (right) and the Tuileries Garden (left) in 2018
The Louvre Palace (center) and the Tuileries Palace front (burned 1870s) circa 1850
The Tuileries Garden is a public garden between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. Created by Catherine de' Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was opened to the public in 1667 and became a public park after the French Revolution. Since the 19th century, it has been a place for Parisians to celebrate, meet, stroll and relax.
Grande Allée of the Tuileries Garden, looking towards the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe
Plan for the palace and gardens by Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau, 1576–1579
Garden of Louis XIII in 1649–51
Tuileries Garden of Le Nôtre in the 17th century, looking west toward the future Champs Élysées, engraving by Perelle