ABSTRACT
The Palais du Louvre, now known as the Musée du Louvre, began as a twelfth century fortress one-fourth the size of the large square courtyard segment at the Louvre’s east end. In the fourteenth century, the Louvre became the royal residence and inaugurated its extended seven-century transformation. Through each successive renovation, addition or removal, the common goal was strengthening the link between the palace on the east with the Tuileries Gardens to the west (Ballon 1991: 59). This problem was more difficult due in part to the two independent axes and great distance.
