Why the Louvre Museum is special
Paris's Louvre vies with New York's Metropolitan Museum as the world's greatest all-around art museum.

Famous art treasures
France's Louvre Museum has the distinction of having the world's most famous painting: Mona Lisa by the Italian Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa's subtle, enigmatic smile and stare (see photo) have intrigued billions.
The celebrated Hellenistic marble statues Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace are also in the Louvre Museum, as are tens of thousands of other masterpieces from around the globe covering 5,000 years. They are displayed in over 10 kilometers (6 miles) of galleries.

How the Louvre Museum evolved
The building complex metamorphosed and expanded over eight centuries. It began as a medieval fortress (12th century) that was transformed into a royal palace (16th) and then a public museum (18th).
Recently, the Louvre Museum undertook a major renovation project. The most striking addition was architect I.M. Pei's modern glass pyramid (most people like it but some despise it).

What leading travel books say about the Louvre Museum
The Louvre Museum is like a theatre, but the actors are the works of art.
The Louvre
Knopf Guides

The Louvre Museum is a delicious, often indigestible 99-course feast.
France
Frommer's