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The Bastille

INTRODUCTION

The Bastille, formerly a prison known as Bastille Saint Antoine, is best known for the peasant revolt that started the now infamous French Revolution, in 1789. The monumental event that changed the course of French history is celebrated every July 14. Today, the area around the Bastille is one of the city's most diverse market scenes. It is a Puccini-esque bohemian scene characterized by its lively, youthful atmosphere, bustling markets, colorful bars and restaurants, popular nightlife and cafe culture. While crowded with working people by day, the neighborhood's cheap rents attract hipper-than-thou artists and their attractive patrons to even hipper, swanky clubs.

HISTORY

The Bastille began as a fortified gate, constructed during the early years of the Hundred Years War (1337 through 1453) under the commission of King Charles V.

The Bastion Saint Antoine, as it was then called, was expanded and by the end of the 14th century had become a fortified castle of war. Following the war, the Defender of Paris officially became a prison.

The prison held many famous (and infamous) figures, including Voltaire and the Marquis de Sade, who cried from his room that a massacre was taking place inside. He was moved to an asylum just ten days before the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which began the French Revolution. Ever poetic, the French people rescued all seven prisoners from the Bastille, a symbol of royal oppression.

The fortress was invaded by peasants hoping to acquire arms and munitions, and a large crowd gathered outside calling for its surrender. After a short-lived but deadly gunfight, the French governor ordered a complete cease-fire. The forces occupying the Bastille surrendered, and the governor was executed.

The storming of the Bastille led to mass panic, and confusion ruled the streets of Paris. Before long, the nation was in the throes of revolution.

The Bastille was torn down in the late 1780s, even though the site had become something of a national attraction. So many visitors had begun visiting the site that Pierre Palloy, mastermind behind the demolition effort, began charging an entrance admission and producing novelty souvenirs, even going so far as to sell off pieces of rubble from the crumbled remains.

In 1792, in an effort to unite and inspire nationals, the grounds of the Bastille were renovated, creating a large public square now called Place de la Bastille.

In 1825, Napoleon ordered the construction of a large canal, taking water from the River Seine. The canal has become a minor tourist attraction.

In 1831, Place de la Bastille received the first stone in a national monument celebrating the 1830 Revolution and fall of King Charles X, constructed in the center of the square. The 154 foot tall July Column houses a spiral staircase and is topped with a viewing deck. In 1858, the Paris metro rail line came to the Bastille, with the construction of Gare de La Bastille. The station would operate for more than one hundred years.

At the end of 1969, the Bastille station was closed and converted into an art gallery. Regular art expositions were held in the former station until it was finally torn down in the early 1980s to make room for a new and expansive national opera house.

In 1984, construction began on the Opera Bastille, now home to the Opera national de Paris. In the early 1980s, a national competition was held to find a suitable design for the opera house, which opened on July 14, 1989, 200 years after the storming of the Bastille.

Today, little remains of the eight towers that comprised the castle prison. Some remnants of one of the towers were discovered during the 1899 construction of the Paris metro system and now stand proudly near by the original site. The original grounds of the castle complex are outlined in the pavement, showing visitors where the monument once stood, a spot now occupied by some businesses and a small café. Though the building itself looks much different from the day the people of France demanded their freedom, Bastille Day is a national holiday celebrated every July 14.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

ATTRACTIONS

The Bastille has one of the city's biggest markets on the central median of bd. Richard Lenoir on Thursday and Sunday. Cheap clothes, running shoes, and produce are plentiful and tempting here. On rue St. Sabin, take a break at a casually inviting spot popular with the locals, Café de l'Industrie. A la Petite Fabrique offers a selection of handmade chocolates whipped up on-site, not to mention an unavoidably intoxicating aroma of cocoa.

From the Bastille metro stop, head along rue du Faubourg St. Antoine and peek at Baron Aligre, a traditional wine bar that still sells wine by the barrel, and cold plates of charcuterie and cheese. Place d'Aligre is the neighborhood's famous covered market and outdoor morning market. Locals of all ages and types flock to the market to buy and exchange shopping tips. Several popular cafes line rue du Faubourg St. Antoine, such as Café Sanz Sans, which features retro delights such as red velvet chairs and leopard-print couches, or La Fabrique, which is more contemporary in style and right next door. The Barrio Latino is true to the decorative tradition of its namesake with opulent, over-the-top decorating theme, rich colors, red-fringed ceiling lamps and a grand central staircase. The hip and the beautiful can take salsa classes, while less-active patrons can lounge on the second floor overlooking the main floor, ideal for people-watching.

Cour Damoye is right off the intersection of rue Daval and rue St. Sabin, which is peppered with galleries for the art lover. Brulerie Daval is a rare salon de thé, a place for a tea and coffee, at reasonable prices, though with less elegant surroundings. Rue de Lappe is lined with vibrant bars and restaurants specializing in international cuisine. On rue de Charonne, Rose-Thé, Café du Passage are inviting, popular spots, but don't miss the Pause Café, featured in the French romantic comedy, When the Cat's Away. Locals flock to La Plancha on rue Keller, a hole-in-the-wall tapas bar that offers pitchers of sangria and tasty bites of Spain for dinner.

For nightlife lovers, the China Club at 50, rue de Charenton, one street south of St. Antoine, offers club-goers a night of swanky, high-end nocturnal indulgence. It is worth noting the barricade of 1848 at the Bastille, made famous by Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, was erected at the entrance of rue de Charenton.