The Battles of the Louvre

Episode Overview

At the end of the 12th century, Philip II the Augustus had a feudal fortress erected near the banks of the Seine to defend Paris against enemy invasions. Its imposing circular keep, the Louvre Tower, also served as a prison: after the victory of Bouvines in 1214, the Count of Flanders was detained there for thirteen years. Louis IX was the first to store within these walls the jewels of the Crown of France. When Charles V decided to take the Louvre as his royal residence, he ordered its enlargement and the construction of a new enclosure around Paris. After being occupied during the Hundred Years' War by the English, the building was gradually abandoned. It was not until 1528, when Francis I moved in, that major works began. They are continued by his successors, associating over the centuries renowned architects and artists.