Foundation of the Bastille in the Bastille Metro Station, Line 5 in the Direction of La Courneuve
As of 1790, there was barely anything that remained of the former Bastille fortress. It was not until more than a century later, in 1899, that vestiges were found during the construction of the metro. On the line 5 platform, a person can still see a piece of the wall from the counterscarp of the fortress’s eastern moat.
Started on the evening of July 14th, the demolition of the Bastille took place over 96 weeks: work was not completed until May 21, 1791. For a year and a half, nearly 700 laborers worked on it daily, which provided employment to working-class populations and brought social peace. The worksite was also an open-air museum: the building contractor Palloy charged people money to visit it. Quite aware of its importance, Palloy even created a group called the “Apostles of Liberty,” which was in charge of advertising it.
