The French king who ordered construction of the original Louvre fortress was Philip II, also known as Philip Augustus.
Around 1190, as Philip II prepared to leave for the Third Crusade, he ordered a defensive wall around Paris. The Louvre was built just outside that wall on the Seine’s right bank, protecting the western approach to the city and the road toward Normandy. Normandy was then controlled by England, making the route strategically important.
The medieval fortress was completed around 1202. It was nearly square, measured roughly 78 by 72 metres, and had thick walls, a water-filled moat, ten defensive towers, and a massive central keep called the Grosse Tour du Louvre. These remains can still be seen beneath the modern museum.
A common mix-up is assigning the Louvre’s later palace transformation to Philip II. Charles V made it a royal residence in the 14th century, while Francis I began its major Renaissance rebuilding in 1546. Louis XIV later shifted the court to Versailles.