The Louvre or Louvre Museum (French: Musée du Louvre (listen)), is the world's most visited museum, and a historical landmark in Paris,

France. It is home to some of the most famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. A central landmark of the city,

it is located on the right bank of the Seine in the city's first arrondissement (district or ward). At any given time, approximately

38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are on display in an area of 72,735 square meters Attendance stood at 2.8

million in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum was closed for 150 days in 2020, and attendance fell 72 percent to 2.7 million.

Nonetheless,the Louvre still tops the list of the world's most-visited art museums in 2021.The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, which

was originally built in the late 12th to 13th centuries under Philip II.The remains of the medieval Louvre fort are visible in the basement

of the museum. Due to urban expansion, the fort eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary

residence of the French kings. The building was extended several times to form the current Louvre Palace.In 1682,Louis XIV chose the Palace

of Versailles for his home, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, which, from 1692,included a collection

of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. In 1692, the building was occupied. Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres and the Académie

Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which held the first of a series of salons in 1699. The Academy lived in the Louvre for 100 years.

During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decided that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the country's masterpieces