Remains of the Bastille

Some remains of the Bastille, the state prison which was famously stormed thus sparking the French Revolution, can be seen in a small park known as Square Henri Galli in Paris.

Remains of the Bastille history

The famous jail of Bastille was destroyed on the 14th July 1789. This sacrilegious act of tearing down the king’s symbol of divinely ordained power is considered the start of the French Revolution and the series of events that would irrevocably transform the future of Europe.

The ruins of one of the 8 towers (Liberty Tower) of the Bastille are on display in the Square Henri Galli, a park that is located near Place de la Bastille. Workers who were excavating the area in order to build the Métro (Paris’s underground transportation system) discovered the Bastille’s vestiges in 1899.

Remains of the Bastille today

A small plaque next to what seems like an innocuous pile of stones marks this out as the remains of one of the most notorious sites in history. In order to provide context, the original outline of the prison is outlined with distinctive paving stones. You can see them near the Rue Saint Antoine, and near the cafés and shops that surround the square. For the original location of this prison, see the entry for The Bastille.

Today, parents often bring their children to the square where there is a little playground. Little do they know they are surrounded by some maginficent history.

Getting to the Remains of the Bastille

There are several metro and bus routes that take you to the site of the remains at Square Henri Galli. You can take the H, L or N line trains or Line 1 and 7 on the undergorund metro. Buses 63, 72, 87, 96 all pass the park.