The Bastille Fortress
Today one of the liveliest squares in Paris with its cafes, brasseries, Opera House and daily traffic jams at rush hour, the Place de la Bastille is for the French people the symbol of the Revolution of 1789.
Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14th and is undoubtedly the most important celebration after Christmas.
The story of the Bastille began six and a half centuries ago.
The fortress was built by the provost of Paris, Hugues Aubriot, near to the gate Porte St-Antoine and in the extension of the perimeter wall of Charles V.
The first stone was laid in 1370.
The heavy rectangular building was flanked by eight 24m high round towers and surrounded by 25m wide moats.
Then known as the Castel St-Antoine, it assured the security of the royal residence, the nearby Hôtel St-Pol.
It ceased to be a military fortress in the late 16th century to become a state prison.
A simple letter signed by the king was enough to send a man into its cold walls. Voltaire was imprisoned there more than once.
Seven prisoners were still imprisoned in the Bastille on 14th July 1789 when it was seized by the revolutionaries who saw in it a symbol of royal power and absolutism.
Ironically, the 633 men who seized it were cabinetmakers of the nearby St-Antoine district, mostly all of German origin.
Demolition began on 15th July 1789 and was completed in 1792.
The stones were used to complete the Pont de la Concorde.
The remaining stones were used for the creation of 83 models of the fortress, which were sent to each French département to commemorate the end of the monarchy.
Lighter cobblestones, visible at the junction of the Boulevard Henri IV and Rue St-Antoine mark its location.
These stones are clearly visible on Google Earth.
A sign affixed to the front of No.3 Place de la Bastille depicts the fortress and an inscription at no.5 Rue St-Antoine marks its entrance.
It was not until 1803 that the area was transformed into a square.
The gigantic work of planning conducted during the Second Empire gave the Place dela Bastille the appearance we know today.
The Boulevards Bourdon and Beaumarchais replace the perimeter wall.
The drawbridge was at the current pedestrian crossing near the No.46 Boulevard Henri IV.
The shaft of the 52m tall Colonne de Juillet is made of bronze and is hollow.
It has a diameter of 4m and weighs 170 000kg.
You must climb 238 steps to reach the top platform where the gilded bronze statue of the Génie de la Bastille stands.
This allegorical statue symbolizes Liberty that flies away by breaking its chains and spreading light.
The July Column was built between 1835 and 1840 to commemorate the three revolutionary days of 27-28-29 July 1830, known as Trois Glorieuses, that led to the abdication of King Charles X.
An ossuary was built in the basement to place the remains of the 504 victims of this revolution.
In March 1848, the remains of 196 victims of the Revolution of February 23-24 were added in the burial vault.
Their names were engraved in the shaft of the column.
The Opéra-Bastille was inaugurated in 1989 to commemorate the bicentennial of the French Revolution.
The Opéra-Bastille (official site) is a curvilinear building of glass and steel, designed by the Canadian-Uruguyan architect Carlos Ott.
It was built to replace the Opéra Garnier (Pace de l'Opéra) that was built in the 1870s.
Most operas are now produced at the Opéra-Bastille, allowing the Palais Garnier to be entirely devoted to ballet.
The auditorium is equipped with rotating stages and has a capacity of 2700 seats acoustically consistent seats.
The contemporary building was very controversial at first... once more many local residents objected to the project, arguing that its silhouette would ruin the ambiance of the district.
Its construction, nevertheless, began in 1984 on the site of the old Bastille railway station which had become disused in 1969.
The glass facade is of course devoid of any ornament or sculpture and its wide entrance overlooking the Place de la Bastille seems to invite people to enter...
Its smooth surface is impersonal but could be perceived as less intimidating than the lavish façade of the Opéra Garnier, with its large loggias, balconies, columns, sculptures, gilding and others...
The banks of the nearby Bassin de l'Arsenal were landscaped into a 1 hectare park planted with trees and bushes and embellished with playgrounds, rest areas and a restaurant to serve the marina.
What to visit near Place de la Bastille? Place des Vosges
Directions
4th/12th Districts
Metro station Bastille
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