The Bastille has been invaded and destroyed, but it still serves as an important landmark to the French people today. It was originally built as a house for Charles V., on the right side of the Seine. Later during the reign of Louis XIII. was it turned into a national prison and a sign of oppression. Among the famous prisoners, you can find people such as Voltaire and “The Man in the Iron Mask.” The French people liberated the Bastille on July 14th in 1789 and since then that date has been celebrated as a national day in France, often referred to as the Bastille day.
If we go to the location of the former Bastille, we will not see anything today. In the middle, you can see the 50-meter-high July statue, which was raised in 1830 to remember the fallen French soldier. You can also find the second Opera house of Paris here, Opéra Bastille. It has been built in a modern style and serves as the cultural center of this part of Paris.
Bastille historical pictures
