See Also: bastille(1)(dictionary)
bastille(2)(dictionary)
Bastille(encyclopedia)
Bastille(dictionary)

Bastille (sh)




Medieval fortress in Paris that became a symbol of despotism.

In the 17th-18th centuries, the Bastille was used as a French state prison and a place of detention for important persons. On July 14, 1789, at the beginning of the French Revolution, an armed mob of Parisians captured the fortress and released its prisoners, a dramatic action that came to symbolize the end of the ancien regime. The Bastille was subsequently demolished by the Revolutionary government. Bastille Day (July 14) has been a French national holiday since 1880.