Louvre
In the beginning chapters of The Da Vinci Code, the Louvre plays a major part in the story. Jacques Sauniere is found murdered inside of the building. The Louvre started off as a fortress to defend Paris from the western approach. At the site of the Louvre, the boundaries of Paris once laid. Only the foundations of the original structure, begun around 1190, still remain and were found during the renovations at the Cour Carree.
In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum and was open to the public to enjoy the collection. Napoleon Bonaparte added to the collection during his campaign across Europe. Today, the museum houses paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Titian and Rubens. There is collections of Roman and Greek antiques, as well as an Egyptian department that was created in 1862.
In 1989, the famous glass pyramid entrance was completed. In 1993, The Carrousel du Lovre was created which is an underground complex of shops and facilities, illuminated by the Pyramid Inversee.
At this structure, the climax of The Da Vinci Code occurs. On the 200 year anniversary as a public museum, the Louvre held 200,000 objects and collections.
The Pyramide Inversee is a 30 ton, 43.6-foot-square steel and glass frame in the shape of an upside-down pyramid pointing down into the underground chamber.