From early times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world’s art treasures. Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre (卢浮宫) in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. It is the biggest art museum in the world.

The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort (堡垒). In 1190, it was the king’s castle with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat (护城河) to keep out the enemies. Over the years, the number of buildings around the fort grew. By 1350, the fort was no longer needed and became a palace home for French kings and queens.
During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During times of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged.
When Francis Ⅰ became King of France in the year of 1515, he brought in artists from many countries. One of the artists was Leonardo Da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is the best known painting in the museum today.
In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy. Every year millions of people from all over the world come to the Louvre to see the masterpieces.