The Bastille has long been an important figure in Frances history. Built as a fortress during the hundred year war, it has switched colors frequently and served as a castle, a treasury, and lastly a prison. When it was first converted into a prison by Charles VI it was primarily used to hold political prisoners.

One of the most mysterious prisoners that the Bastille held was the Man in the Iron mask. The first official report of this prisoner was written by the Officer-in-Charge of the main tower of the Pinerolo or Pignerol Fortress, Benigne d'Auvergne de St-Mars. At that time, January 1665-April 1681, there were five prisoners under St-Mars' control and one of these is believed (by the German historian Dr. Wilhelm Broecking) to have been 'The Man with the Iron Mask'.

His death was sudden, so fast in fact that the prison chaplain had not been able to perform the last rites. The name - Monsieur de Marchiel - was entered into the register and his burial cost 40 livres (old pounds). The original death certificate was kept at the City Hall in Paris until 1871 when it, and the building, was destroyed in a fire. His final resting place was St. Paul's cemetery in Paris.

The most famous moment of the Bastille and one that secured its place in history is the event that started the French Revolution. On the morning of July 14th, 1789, a group of workmen broke into the Bastille, secured weapons, and took it over, freeing the seven remaining prisoners from their cells. The invasion had been forewarned and three hundred soldiers who were on rotation in the prison refused to show up for work that day.

This sparked the beginnings of the French revolution and would eventually lead to Frances independence. In three years france underwent a massive transformation from absolute monarchy to the development of a fair government that´s shadow is seen in modern-day governments today. The feudal, religious, and aristocratic systems that are prevalent in the history of France fell to new ideas of enlightenment that include inalienable rights and citizenship.

The event that is widely considered to be this transformations beginning is celebrated every year on Bastille Day. The Place de la Bastille is a square in Paris, where the Bastille prison stood until the 'Storming of the Bastille' and its subsequent physical destruction between 14 July 1789 and 14 July 1790 during the French Revolution; no vestige of it remains.

A ferocious lion with a massive mane strides across a shallow ledge. The beast represents the astrological sign Leo; a band with stars behind it represents the sun's path through the houses of the zodiac. The design is adapted from a colossal relief on the pedestal of the July Column, which was unveiled in the Place de la Bastille in Paris in 1840. It commemorates the 504 citizens killed a decade earlier in the revolution that overthrew the Bourbon monarchy. The reference to Leo, the sign of the zodiac that governs late July, was particularly relevant to the Orléans monarchy, which came to power during the three-day revolution of July 27-29, 1830.

The Colonne de Juillet dominates la Place de la Bastille. It marks the site of the prison known as the Bastille which was stormed by the Mob in 1789 at the start of the French Revolution. In the subway station beneath the square, stones from the Bastille's foundation can still be seen. This square is also home to the Opéra Bastille completed in 1990.

The Bastille Theatre is one of the best known and loved theatres in central Paris. A beautiful and historic structure, it offers a great place for visitors and locals to enjoy French theatre at its very best in a wonderful auditorium. There is a long programme of events at the theatre that crosses many different genres. The theatre is always looking to excel itself in productions and create performances that stay in the hearts and minds of its audiences forever.

Travellers planning upon visiting Paris and looking for more history about the Bastille should check here for more information. Bastille hotels worth looking into include Classics hotel Bastille and the Holiday Inn Paris Bastille.