by Carol H. Morgan

Created on: June 30, 2008   Last Updated: July 02, 2008

On the first Bastille day in 1789, young King Louis XVI certainly didn't show much awareness that his beloved world in Versailles, and his life along with it, was about to come to a violent end. In his diary that day, he wrote of his hunt, "14 Juillet; rien." [July 14th, nothing] Later that night, his adviser, La Rochefoucault-Liancourt, woke and notified him about the uprisings in Paris. He was told that the Bastille had been taken and the governor's head was paraded on a pike. Louis asked him, "Is it a revolt?" "No, sire," said La Rochefoucault-Liancourt, "It is a revolution."

HISTORY OF THE BASTILLE

The structure known as the Bastille was initially a "bastillon," or or military fortress. It was built by Charles V in the turbulent mid-fourteenth century to protect the south entrance of the city along the Seine. It was connected with the wall that surrounded what was medieval Paris. In the mid-sixteenth century it converted to a prison, mainly to house political prisoners with stature and influence. Among the famous prisoners there was the mysterious man in a mask "de fer" (which was probably velvet).

Ironically, even as it grew to be a symbol among the people of the King's tyranny, it was one of the least harsh of all prisons in Europe. Prisoners could keep their own furniture and had a luxuriant daily allowance for food. The supposed 'tyrant' Louis XVI had just furnished it and decorated it with lavish green damask curtains. Prisoners could have servants and were permitted many liberties and types of recreation. But the prison was seen as an example of Louis' absolute power, even though it was rarely abused; the king could send prisoners there without arrest by "lettres de cachet."

The mystery surrounding the fortress, however, fed rumors that ran wild in the turbulent pre-revolutionary atmosphere. The monarchy allowed fear of the Bastille to continue while the important people within were treated with dignity. Louis had no stomach for torture, dungeons or harsh treatment, so it worked well to actually just let people assume such things existed - a strict gag order was imposed on all past prisoners and workers. An occasional malcontent with a bone to pick with the crown caused trouble. The Marquis de Sade, on the July 2, 1789, began to incite those outside his window to free the prisoners because he claimed they were being tortured and executed. Ironically because of this de Sade was transferred before the big day and so he did not benefit from the Bastille's

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