The Louvre? No one yet seems to have provided a convincing explanation for the origin of the name. But for everyone, the term is synonymous with the museum. And the museum sometimes makes one forget the palace. However, from a medieval fortress to the most prestigious museum in the world, the walls of the Louvre palace bare witness to eight centuries of architecture and history that has been, in turns, brilliant and dramatic. The greatest architects designed it; the best artists have embellished it with their decors: Jean Goujon, Le Vau, Le Brun, Poussin, Percier, Fontaine, Delacroix, Carpeaux and Ieoh Ming Pei have contributed to its greatness and its artistic richness. This book recounts how and why the Louvre was created. It takes us on a journey through which we discover, century by century, the various stages of the Louvre's construction and transformations. It is an eventful saga, intimately linked to the history of France.