Bastille
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What was the Bastille?
The Bastille was a medieval fortress in Paris that became a French state prison in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was a place of detention for important persons charged with various offenses. The Bastille symbolized the Bourbon monarchy's despotism and held an important place in the ideology of the French Revolution.
On July 14, 1789, an armed mob of Parisians stormed the Bastille, which marked the end of the ancien régime. The Bastille was subsequently demolished by order of the Revolutionary government. Today, the Place de la Bastille public square stands where the Bastille once stood. The annual anniversary of the storming of the Bastille became a French national holiday called Bastille Day in 1880.
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Where was the Bastille located?
The Bastille was a medieval fortress located on the east side of Paris. Built in the 14th century, it was originally a fortification to protect the city. Over time, it became a state prison in the 17th and 18th centuries, symbolizing the Bourbon monarchy's despotism.
The storming of the Bastille by Parisians on July 14, 1789, marked a pivotal moment in the French Revolution. Today, the Place de la Bastille, a public square, stands where the prison once stood.
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Why was the Bastille built?
The Bastille was initially constructed as a fortification to safeguard Paris from English attacks. Charles V of France ordered its construction in 1370 as a bastide, which is where the name Bastille comes from.
Over time, the Bastille transitioned into a state prison in the 17th and 18th centuries, under Cardinal de Richelieu. It became a place to detain political troublemakers and those imprisoned by lettre de cachet, direct orders from the king.
The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, symbolized the end of the Bourbon monarchy's despotism and remains an iconic event of the French Revolution. Today, the Place de la Bastille stands where the prison once stood.
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Who were kept in the Bastille as prisoners?
The Bastille was a French state prison used in the 17th and 18th centuries for political troublemakers and those detained by direct order of the king, from which there was no appeal. It also held people at the request of their families, often to force young members into obedience or to prevent disreputable members from marring the family’s name.
Some famous people imprisoned there were Voltaire and the Marquis de Sade. People being tried by the Parlement were also detained there. By July 14, 1789, there were only seven prisoners confined in the Bastille.
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Why did the storming of the Bastille become an important event in French history?
The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, was a pivotal event in French history because it symbolized the end of the Bourbon monarchy's despotism and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille, a medieval fortress and state prison, represented the coercive power of the king.
The event quickly became a symbol of the revolutionary struggle, and its anniversary is now celebrated as Bastille Day, a French national holiday. The fall of the Bastille signified the shift towards secularized individualism and rationality in French society and politics.
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What happened to the Bastille after it was stormed during the French Revolution?
Following the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, the Revolutionary government ordered its demolition. Though some wanted to turn it into a museum, the Permanent Committee of Municipal Electors authorized its destruction.
Pierre-François Palloy, a contractor, capitalized on the event by creating souvenirs from the Bastille's remains, such as inkwells, fans, paperweights, and replicas. Stone pieces were sent to every district in France for display, contributing to the Bastille's mythologization. Today, only an outline and a small portion of the foundation remain at the Place de la Bastille, now a public square.
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Bastille, medieval fortress on the east side of Paris that became, in the 17th and 18th centuries, a French state prison and a place of detention for important persons charged with various offenses. The Bastille, stormed by an armed mob of Parisians on July 14, 1789, in the opening days of the French Revolution, was a symbol of the despotism of the ruling Bourbon monarchy and held an important place in the ideology of the Revolution. The annual anniversary of the storming of the Bastille became a French national holiday called Bastille Day in 1880.
With its eight towers, 100 feet (30 metres) high, linked by walls of equal height and surrounded by a moat more than 80 feet (24 metres) wide, the Bastille dominated Paris. The first stone was laid on April 22, 1370, on the orders of Charles V of France, who had it built as a bastide, or fortification (the name Bastille is a corruption of bastide), to protect his wall around Paris against English attack. The Bastille, in fact, was originally a fortified gate, but Charles VI turned it into an independent stronghold by walling up the openings. In 1557 its defensive system was completed on the eastern flank by the erection of a bastion. In the 17th century a transverse block was built, dividing the inner court into unequal parts.
Cardinal de Richelieu was the first to use the Bastille as a state prison, in the 17th century; the yearly average number of prisoners was 40, interned by lettre de cachet, a direct order of the king, from which there was no recourse. Prisoners included political troublemakers and individuals held at the request of their families, often to coerce a young member into obedience or to prevent a disreputable member from marring the family’s name. Under Louis XIV the Bastille became a place of judicial detention in which the lieutenant de police could hold prisoners; under the regency of Philippe II, duc d’Orléans, persons being tried by the Parlement were also detained there. Imprisonment by lettre de cachet remained, however, in force, and prohibited books were also placed in the Bastille. The high cost of maintaining the building prompted talk of demolition in 1784.
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On the morning of July 14, 1789, when only seven prisoners were confined in the building, a crowd advanced on the Bastille with the intention of asking the prison governor, Bernard Jordan, marquis de Launay, to release the arms and munitions stored there. Angered by Launay’s evasiveness, the people stormed and captured the place; this dramatic action came to symbolize the end of the ancien régime. The Bastille was subsequently demolished by order of the Revolutionary government.
Where the Bastille once stood is today a public square called the Place de la Bastille. Pubs, cafes, and nightclubs populate the area, and concerts are frequently held in the square. Given the area’s historical significance, the square is also a popular site for political demonstrations. The July Column, a monument celebrating the July Revolution of 1830, stands in the centre of the square.