THE BASTILLE SQUARE
A major crossroads for events such as political and trade union rallies, concerts and balls...
On July 14, 1789, when only seven prisoners remained in the Bastille fortress, the revolutionaries seized it and the crowd took up arms. The medieval edifice was destroyed on July 15. Its outline can still be seen thanks to the special paving at the entrance to rue Saint-Antoine and boulevard Beaumarchais. In 1801, Napoleon took an interest in this part of the city and laid out the square around a gigantic elephant fountain, the base of which was designed by Alavoine. To commemorate the insurrectionary days of 1830, the Chamber of Deputies decided to erect the July Column in 1833, by Alavoine, to the glory of the citizens who armed themselves and fought for the defense of public liberties. It rests on the base of the former fountain, in which the remains of over five hundred victims of the revolutions of 1830 and 1848 are enshrined. At the top, you'll find a gilded bronze statue of "Le génie de la liberté", by Dumont. A historic landmark, the square remains a popular meeting place for popular demonstrations. In recent years, the square has undergone a thorough renovation: now that cars no longer drive around the obelisk, they must bypass it from the north. In place of cala: a vast square, bicycle paths and an opening onto the arsenal basin, which until now was difficult to reach. And since traffic is a thorny issue in Paris, there are pros and cons!
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Bien évidemment la colonne domine tout, mais les traces de la Bastille sont encore "visibles" au sol, en effet, quelques traces au sol permettent de visualiser l'emplacement de l'ancienne prison. Historique je vous disait!
Super !