Medieval Louvre Castle

The medieval Louvre began its life in the late twelfth century as a strictly military fortress. King Philip the Second ordered its construction to defend Paris from the threat of English invasion from the north and to guard the vital river access along the Seine. The site was so strategically important that it served as the kingdom's primary strongbox, housing the royal treasury within its massive central keep. This keep, known as the Grosse Tour, was a cylindrical tower nearly one hundred feet tall with walls over thirteen feet thick at the base. It was surrounded by a deep, dry moat paved with stone to prevent mining or tunnel attempts. Beyond its defensive duties, the fortress also functioned as a secure prison for high-profile political captives. Ferdinand, the Count of Flanders, famously languished there for thirteen years after his defeat at the Battle of Bouvines. As Paris grew and the city walls were expanded in the fourteenth century, the fortress lost its original military purpose. Successive monarchs began modifying the interior, adding windows, turrets, and ceremonial halls to transform the harsh garrison into a royal residence. King Charles the Fifth eventually moved the royal library into one of the corner towers, marking the beginning of the site's long evolution from a defensive bunker into a home for art and literature. Much of the original fortress was demolished in the sixteenth century when King Francis the First chose to rebuild the site as a lavish Renaissance palace. However, the medieval structure proved remarkably resilient during its destruction. Builders used the massive base of the old walls as a foundation for the new palace, effectively burying the history of the fortress underground. Today, you can descend beneath the current museum to walk through the remains of the original dry moat and see the massive stone bases of the towers that once defined the western edge of the capital.