The Louvre Museum (French: Musée du Louvre), also known as the Louvre, is one of the oldest, largest, and most renowned museums in the world, ranking among the top four major museums globally. As a world‑famous temple of art and one of the greatest repositories of artistic treasures, it stands as an awe‑inspiring palace of wonders. Renowned for its extensive collection of classical paintings and sculptures, the Louvre is also among the most precious architectural landmarks of the French Renaissance. Located on the north bank of the Seine River in central Paris, just south of the Place de l’Opéra, the Louvre was originally constructed in 1204 as the royal palace of France, where 50 French kings and queens once resided.