Porte des Lions

You are approaching the Porte des Lions, an entrance to the Louvre Museum named for the two lion sculptures that flank its doorway. This passage sits within a wing of the palace that was reconstructed by architect Hector Lefuel during the eighteen sixties. At that time, Napoleon the Third oversaw an ambitious expansion that linked the Louvre to the Tuileries Palace, creating the structure you see today. The gate was originally known as the Guichet de l Empereur, or the Emperor s Gate, and it served as a private threshold for royalty to move between their residence and the banks of the Seine.