It was built well before the Revolution. It was constructed as a fortress by Philippe Auguste in 1200 to protect the weakest point in his new city perimeter, and was used as a treasure-house, arsenal and archive. In the 14th century Charles V converted it into a residence.
After Charles, for 150 years the kings of France preferred other palaces until, in 1527, Francois I announced that he would take up residence in the Louvre. Rebuilding began. Francois died in 1547 when the foundations were scarcely showing, but the rebuilding continued until the Wars of Religion. It was then called the Old Louvre.
When Henri II died, his widow, Catherine de Medici moved to the Louvre with the young king, Francois II, but she did not wish to live in the palace itself. In 1563 she commissioned Philibert Delorme to build her a residence 500 metres away in an area called the Tuileries. In 1572, all work stopped when an astrologer frightened the queen into believing she would die on the site. Twenty-two years later it was resumed; Henri IV built the Flore wing; Louis XIV the Marsan; the harmony of the Delorme building was dissipated by remodelling. The Tuileries remained empty of royalty until Louis XV.
Louis XIII quadrupled the old Louvre since the court had become cramped, so the Horloge Pavilion was built and extended. More wings were built, until Louis XIV commissioned Bernini to plan a grandly regal exterior. As Bernini’s idea involved the razing of the existing palace, this proved unacceptable and alternative plans were drawn up by Le Vau, Le Brun and Claude Perrault. The Colonnade was created, the gothic wings removed – and in 1682 the court left the Louvre for Versailles.
The palace apartments were let to tenants; an artists’ colony settled in the galleries; the colonnade was divided into dwellings, and taverns and jugglers’ and other entertainers’ shanties were built up against the walls until by 1750 the whole building had become so dilapidated it seemed in danger of being pulled down. Louis XVI’s Minister came to its rescue.
In 1791 the royal family fled from the Tuileries, were arrested and returned, to be seized one year later to the day, by the Paris mob. Invading the palace the rabble pulled a red bonnet over the king’s ears and made him pledge his loyalty to the nation in a toast. There followed the bloody 10 August when 600 of the Swiss Guard were massacred by the mob before the palace was sacked.
The Convention and Directory installed themselves in the opera house and apartments.
Napoleon expelled the last trespassers from the Louvre and began its repair.
Louis XVIII was the only king to die in the Tuileries, and was succeeded by Charles X and Louis-Philippe, both of whom were expelled by the Paris mob who subsequently pillaged the royal residence.
Finally, in 1852, Napoleon III decided to complete the Louvre. After three centuries, the Louvre, the biggest palace in the world, was finished.
The Tuileries was set on fire by the insurgents during the Paris Commune of 1871, but the main building was saved.
(The Tuileries joined up the two ends of the "U" shape of the Louvre, its ends being the Pavilion de Marsan and the Pavilion de Flore.)
It was built well before the Revolution. It was constructed as a fortress by Philippe Auguste in 1200 to protect the weakest point in his new city perimeter, and was used as a treasure-house, arsenal and archive. In the 14th century Charles V converted it into a residence.
After Charles, for 150 years the kings of France preferred other palaces until, in 1527, Francois I announced that he would take up residence in the Louvre. Rebuilding began. Francois died in 1547 when the foundations were scarcely showing, but the rebuilding continued until the Wars of Religion. It was then called the Old Louvre.
When Henri II died, his widow, Catherine de Medici moved to the Louvre with the young king, Francois II, but she did not wish to live in the palace itself. In 1563 she commissioned Philibert Delorme to build her a residence 500 metres away in an area called the Tuileries. In 1572, all work stopped when an astrologer frightened the queen into believing she would die on the site. Twenty-two years later it was resumed; Henri IV built the Flore wing; Louis XIV the Marsan; the harmony of the Delorme building was dissipated by remodelling. The Tuileries remained empty of royalty until Louis XV.
Louis XIII quadrupled the old Louvre since the court had become cramped, so the Horloge Pavilion was built and extended. More wings were built, until Louis XIV commissioned Bernini to plan a grandly regal exterior. As Bernini’s idea involved the razing of the existing palace, this proved unacceptable and alternative plans were drawn up by Le Vau, Le Brun and Claude Perrault. The Colonnade was created, the gothic wings removed – and in 1682 the court left the Louvre for Versailles.
The palace apartments were let to tenants; an artists’ colony settled in the galleries; the colonnade was divided into dwellings, and taverns and jugglers’ and other entertainers’ shanties were built up against the walls until by 1750 the whole building had become so dilapidated it seemed in danger of being pulled down. Louis XVI’s Minister came to its rescue.
In 1791 the royal family fled from the Tuileries, were arrested and returned, to be seized one year later to the day, by the Paris mob. Invading the palace the rabble pulled a red bonnet over the king’s ears and made him pledge his loyalty to the nation in a toast. There followed the bloody 10 August when 600 of the Swiss Guard were massacred by the mob before the palace was sacked.
The Convention and Directory installed themselves in the opera house and apartments.
Napoleon expelled the last trespassers from the Louvre and began its repair.
Louis XVIII was the only king to die in the Tuileries, and was succeeded by Charles X and Louis-Philippe, both of whom were expelled by the Paris mob who subsequently pillaged the royal residence.
Finally, in 1852, Napoleon III decided to complete the Louvre. After three centuries, the Louvre, the biggest palace in the world, was finished.
The Tuileries was set on fire by the insurgents during the Paris Commune of 1871, but the main building was saved.
(The Tuileries joined up the two ends of the "U" shape of the Louvre, its ends being the Pavilion de Marsan and the Pavilion de Flore.)
no
The Louvre was built before the revolution–a portion of it (walls can be seen in the basement) was built somewhere around 1100.
check out their official site:
http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp?bmLocale=en