Bastille

The Bastille was a medieval fortress and later state prison in Paris located on the eastern edge of the city. It became a symbol of royal authority and was famously stormed by insurgents on 14 July 1789 during the French Revolution.

The original fortress was demolished shortly after the 1789 attack and the site was transformed over the 19th century into a public square. Today the area is known as Place de la Bastille, dominated by the Colonne de Juillet which commemorates the July Revolution of 1830, and by the modern Op\u00e9ra Bastille opera house.

Originally built in the late 14th century as part of Paris’s city defenses, the Bastille later served as a state prison and armory until its fall in 1789. The dismantling of the fortress was carried out by citizens and work crews in the months following the storming.

The former fortress site lies in Paris’s 11th arrondissement on the eastern side of the city, adjacent to the Marais district and served by major metro and road connections.

• Storming date: The fortress was stormed on 14 July 1789, an event that has become the symbolic start of the French Revolution and is commemorated annually as France's national day.
• July Column: The 19th-century July Column occupies the centre of the present square and commemorates the 1830 revolution that deposed Charles X.

What to See #

• Place de la Bastille: The large open square that occupies the former fortress site and contains the **July Column**, public transport interchanges and cultural venues.
• Colonne de Juillet (July Column): Monument erected between 1835 and 1840 to commemorate the July Revolution of 1830; the column stands in the centre of the square and is topped by a gilded figure.
• Op\u00e9ra Bastille: Modern opera house opened as part of the bicentenary celebrations of the Revolution; it functions as one of the principal venues of the Paris National Opera.