Louvre: A castle, in Paris, of the kings of France from or before the Thirteenth Century, and the chief royal palace until Louis XIV. built Versailles. The existing palace was begun by Francis I. in 1541, and has been greatly extended until it now forms one of the most extensive and historically interesting buildings in the world. A great part of the interior has been occupied since 1793 by the famous museum, and successive governments have employed the best artists at their command for its decoration.

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