Construction of the Louvre began in 1190, and the place is still obviously under construction today. Parisians say that after all this time the building still isn't finished. The museum started as a fortress, was converted to a château, where it underwent several renovations. In 1725 the Academy of Painting exhibited members paintings in the salons. In 1793 the exhibitions became permanent, and Napoleon assisted in filling it, by plundering the art of Europe.
