Visited by over nine million people every year, The Louvre is, by some margin, the most well known and popular museum in the world. Established in 1792 by Louis XIV, its visage is known world-wide, now denoted by the "Pyramide du Louvre"—the large glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei, emblazoning its main entrance.
The museum, a work of art unto itself, houses masterpieces including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and artifacts from ancient cultures including the famous Venus de Milo. Its collection of art is so expansive that it is unwise to try to see the entire museum in one day. The Louvre holds more than 380,000 pieces in its collection, with over 35,000 on display at any one time. Just the paintings alone comprise more than 7,500 works.
Beyond its priceless paintings the collection includes many other art forms, including prints and drawings; sculpture; decorative arts; Islamic art; and antiquities from Roman, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, and Near Eastern cultures.
France
Greece
England
Egypt