Louvre, national art museum of france and the palace in which it is housed, is located in paris, on the right bank of the seine river. the structure, until 1682 a residence of the kings of france, is one of the largest palaces in the world. it occupies the site of a 13th-century fortress. the building of the louvre was begun in 1546 in the reign of francis i, according to the plans of the french architect pierre lescot. additions were made to the structure during the reigns of almost every subsequent french monarch.

Among its greatest treasures in the Louvre are two of the most famous sculptures of the acient world, the Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo, and Leonardo's famous portrait, Mona Lisa.

The Louvre also holds works by the other Italian masters Raphael and Titian and paintings by the northern artists Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt. Protection of all the Louvre's priceless masterpieces during the two world wars was effected by their removal to secret depositories outside Paris.

The collections of the museum are administered by seven curatorial departments. The Department of Egyptian Antiquities was formed in 1826 to study and display the objects brought back to France during Napoleon's campaign in Egypt. The Department of Oriental Antiquities is famed for its collections of Mesopotamian and Islamic art. Other departments include Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities and so on.

The museum publishes catalogs and brochures. In addition, it publishes the Revue de Louvre, which contains articles on new acquisitions and provides information on museum projects and on other French museums