The Louvre started life as a fortress built by King Philippe-Augustus in the 12th century to defend Paris from the English invaders. Saint Louis, Philippe the Beautiful and Charles V transformed it into a royal residence and eight centuries later, in 1793 during the French Revolution, it became the world’s largest museum.
Francois 1 had the dungeon destroyed and extended the palace, as did Henri 11 and Catherine de Medici, who also built the Tuileries Palace. It was further extended under Louis X111 and Louis XIV, but then Louis XIV decided to live at Versailles and it was only under Napoleon 1 that any new projects were undertaken—the North Wing was started and later finished under Napoleon III, and the great court to the north, the Cour Carrée, closed off.
Architect Ieoh Ming Pei added the final touch when he built the famous glass pyramid in the vast open Napoleon Court. The spectacular pyramid and the Hall Napoleon below it opened in 1989. A blend of technology and simplicity, innovation and tradition, the pyramid has evoked many reactions, but is now a firm part of the Louvre (and Paris) landscape.
The new Richelieu Wing, on the rue Rivoli side of the Napoleon Court (Cour Napoleon), was inaugurated in 1993. From then, the Louvre comprised 3 wings: the new Richelieu; the Denon on the River Seine side of Cour Napoleon; and the Sully, around the Cour Carrée (literally, the square Square).
Visitors now enter the museum on the entresol level below the pyramid, from where they can enter any of the three building wings, plus a huge underground shopping area.
But, in 1974 when we first visited, there was no pyramid, and no Richelieu Wing. Entrance was through the Porte Denon, facing where the pyramid now is. The Cour Napoleon was still open to traffic and parking around the edge was possible.
It doesn’t look the same at all!
(June 1974: note the road and the parking around the Cour Napoleon).
(June 1974: old entrance through Porte Denon).
(December 2007: View from Denon Wing, to Cour Napoleon and the Pyramid–no cars or parking now!).
(December 2007: View from Richelieu Wing across Cour Napoleon).
(December 2007: the newer entrance in Napoleon Hall, below the Pyramid).
