Reading the palace in stone

Take in the stonework around you before turning to the display cases. In the northern part of the Salle Saint-Louis, the Louvre's own architecture becomes something to study. Look at the carved capital, the shaped stone at the top of a support. Notice where the plain surface gives way to decoration. Even a small part of a building can show the attention given to its construction. The Louvre began as a fortress under Philippe Auguste, the French king who strengthened Paris's defences around 1190. Later generations transformed it into a royal residence. Standing among these remains, you can begin to imagine how much earlier building lies within the palace you entered. Archaeology adds smaller traces to that picture. A silver coin displayed here was found in the Cour Carrée in 1984. It is less than three centimetres across. Bring your attention back to the surrounding stone: a carved detail, a surviving wall and a tiny excavated object each preserve a different part of the same place's history.