The rooms

Where is the medieval Louvre in the museum?

The medieval Louvre is on level -1 of the Sully wing, in Rooms 130 to 137. The moat is Room 133, the model room 134 and the keep 135. The Salle Saint-Louis occupies Rooms 136 and 137; the remaining rooms are two rotundas and a crypt.

The museum's schedule lists the area as Medieval Louvre, History of the Louvre, on level -1; its map files it under levels -1 and -2.

The museum's Welcome to the Louvre tour passes through the medieval moat and lasts about 90 minutes. It costs €12 in addition to admission and starts at the Groups reception area. English tours are listed at 11:00 and 14:00, with extra Friday starts at 18:00 and 19:00. The museum closes on Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December; check availability before booking.

What to do: Start here if you want the building before the paintings: these rooms are where the palace began.

The fortress

What was the medieval Louvre?

A fortification outside the walls of Paris, built at the end of the 12th century. The museum attributes it to King Philippe Auguste. A keep 30 metres high stood at its heart.

Under Charles V, during the Hundred Years' War, the Louvre became a royal residence. François I ordered the keep's demolition in 1528. Under Henri II, the change from medieval fortress to Renaissance palace was complete.

The model room holds carved pieces of the palace from the 13th to the 19th century. A 13th-century keystone was found in 1882 when the basement under the Salle des Caryatides was cleared.

The finds

What was found in the Louvre's medieval keep?

The gilded parade helmet of King Charles VI was made before 1411. It was found in more than 150 pieces in the keep's well, which was filled in 1528.

The pieces were found in 1984 during excavations of the Cour Carrée. The catalogue places the helmet in Room 136, case 04, but warns that locations may be out of date.

The Cour Carrée excavations in 1984 and 1985 also uncovered a carved capital from the cellar of the medieval Louvre's north wing. The catalogue lists it in Room 134, the model room.

Opening times

When is the medieval Louvre open?

The current schedule shows the Medieval Louvre open every day the museum opens. The area is listed on level -1 of the Sully wing.

The Louvre opens from 9:00 to 18:00, or until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. It closes on Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Last entry is one hour before closing; staff start clearing rooms 30 minutes before.