Musée du Louvre & Palais Royal

Originally built as a medieval fortress by King Philip Augustus in 1190, it served as the royal residence of French monarchs until Louis XIV moved to Versailles in 1682. Opened as a public museum in 1793 during the French Revolution.

The central Cour Napoléon glass pyramid, designed by I.M. Pei, acts as an alchemical prism uniting ancient subterranean limestone foundations with contemporary celestial light.

Urban legends popularized by esoteric literature claimed the glass pyramid consists of exactly 666 panes, whereas official architectural blueprints confirm precisely 673 diamond and triangular glass segments.