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Viaduc des Arts
Just south of the Bastille Opera was a former railway viaduct that
has now been converted into craftsmen’s stores and design boutiques.
Above the Viaduct is the Promenade Plante, which is an elevated
Park stretching from the Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes.
The Bastille
Built around 1370, was once part of the defenses of Paris. Louis
XIV had the wall demolished but left the Bastille, which later became
a luxury prison for aristocratic and notable people who could have
goods and services sent in. The Marquis de Sade was a prisoner here
as were Mirabeau and Voltaire. It was stormed on 14 July 1789, but
at that time there were only seven prisoners. It was later razed
and replaced in 1831 by the column, called the July Column, now
standing surmounted by the "Spirit of Liberty". In Place
Henri Galli can be found a commemorative pile of stones from the
original Bastille.
Place de Bastille
The Place de Bastille was where the Bastille stood, a prison
whose name has reverberated around the world as a symbol of democracy,
and has always been a rallying point for political protestors.
The area around the Bastille, especially rue de Lappe, rue du Faubourg
Saint-Antoine and part of rue de Charonne has become a rather
hip neighborhood.
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