During the Middle Ages, the king, who was feeling a little threatened by his Anglo-Norman enemies, decided to build a fortress, which later was called the Louvre. It is still able possible to see part of this Medieval Fortress on the lowest floor of the museum.)

In the 1500’s, the King of France began the building of “Chateau Louvre”. The castle’s size and its art collection grew with each passing king. By the time the king Louis XVI made the art display open to the public, quite a number of famous paintings had been collected. (By this time, the royal family had moved to Versailles.)  In 1848 the Louvre became the property of the government and became what is now known as the Louvre Museum.

(source youloveparis.com)