The Louvre of Charles V: Legitimacy, Renewal, and Royal Presence in Fourteenth-Century Paris

No monument better expressed the ambitions of King Charles V of France (r. 1364-80) than the Louvre. Charles V’s renovated Louvre asserted his legitimacy, served as a temple of wisdom, and was a majestic sign of the renewed presence of the monarch after years of royal absence. This article examines how Charles V’s Louvre created meaning through its association with its site, with other monuments, and with texts and images to become a political manifesto in stone. Through the expansion of the Louvre, Charles V sought to shape how his kingdom was perceived both by his subjects and by foreigners.