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the 14th of July : the national day in France

The national day in France commemorates the taking by assault of la Bastille on the 14th of July 1789.
Build in 1370 to reinforce the surrounding wall of Paris, then strengthened during centuries, the fortress, , transformed in the XVIIth century by Richelieu into a royal prison, symbolizes, in the eye of the masses, the power's despotism.
In July 1789, starving crowds ramble through the town, looking for food and weapons.
Then it is rumoured that the castle contains an arsenal. Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java. The demonstrators hurl themselves at the Bastille where the garrison ( 82 disabled officers and 30 Swiss mercenaries) only offers a small resistance. It's a massacre.
From next day begins the demolition which will be going on for 3 years. A good deal of the stones will be used to build the Concorde bridge, others are hewed for 83 small figures.
Nowadays one can see the fortress's outline in the pavement of the Bastille square.
In 1880, the IIId Republic proclaims the 14th of July as the national day.

picture by © Alain Grillon

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The national day in France commemorates the taking by assault of la Bastille on the 14th of July 1789. Build in 1370 to reinforce the surrounding wall of Paris, then strengthened during centuries, the fortress, , transformed in the XVIIth century by Richelieu into a royal prison, symbolizes, in the eye of the masses, the power's despotism. In July 1789, starving crowds ramble through the town, looking for food and weapons. Then it is rumoured that the castle contains an arsenal.	Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java.	The demonstrators hurl themselves at the Bastille where the garrison ( 82 disabled officers and 30 Swiss mercenaries) only offers a small resistance. It's a massacre. From next day begins the demolition which will be going on for 3 years. A good deal of the stones will be used to build the Concorde bridge, others are hewed for 83 small figures. Nowadays one can see the fortress's outline in the pavement of the Bastille square. In 1880, the IIId Republic proclaims the 14th of July as the national day.
	picture by © Alain Grillon