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The Bastille
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- Name:
- The Bastille
- Continent:
- EUROPE
- Alt Name:
- Place de la Bastille
- Country:
- France
- Period:
- French Revolution
- Sub-Region:
- -
- Date:
- 1700AD - 1799AD
- City/Town:
- Paris
- Figure:
- -
- Resorts:
- Paris,
- Related:
- Remains of the Bastille, Place de la Concorde,
La Conciergerie, The Catacombs of Paris,
about The Bastille
The Bastille was a fourteenth century fortress turned prison in Paris which would become central in igniting the French Revolution. On 14 July 1789, a large group descended on the Bastille demanding that its prisoners – by now only seven were held there – be released. Their main aim was to have access to weapons and gunpowder that were held in the Bastille.
After some negotiations, the crowd became restless and stormed the prison, an incident known as the “storming of the Bastille”. Whilst the storming of the Bastille had been preceded by general turmoil in Paris, this chaotic event is widely considered to have been the catalyst of the French Revolution. It was followed by the abolition of feudalism and the signing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, a central document of the revolution.
The Bastille was later torn down by the revolutionary government. It was located in what is now known as Place de la Bastille, as shown on the map. Place de la Bastille is now a busy junction with a plaque about the prison. It is centred on a tall statue called Colonne de Juillet – the July Column – which commemorates the events leading up to the revolution.
Some remains of the Bastille building can now be seen at Square Henri Galli, a small park nearby.
Just as empires rise and fall so do entry fees and opening hours! While we work as hard as we can to ensure the information provided here about The Bastille is as accurate as possible, the changing nature of certain elements mean we can't absolutely guarantee that these details won't become a thing of the past. If you know of any information on this page that needs updating you can add a comment above or now.
contact details
Address: Place de la Bastille, 75004 Paris, France
Phone: Contact local tourist office
useful information
Directions:
To reach Place de la Bastille, travel to metro station Bastille on lines 1, 5 or 8.
Ticket Information:
This is a public square.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille
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