Bastille
Place de la Bastille (4)
Underground: Bastille
www.opera-de-paris.fr
Opera-Bastille: Monday-Saturday 10am-6.30pm:
guided tours only!
Place de la Bastille is graced by the Colonne de Juillet (July
Column), erected in 1840. The column is 47 metres high, and was built to
commemorate the victims of the revolution of 1830. The square was
originally the location of a medieval fortress. Cardinal Richelieu later
turned it into a state prison. In July 1789 the Bastille was stormed by
the enraged citizens of Paris. They literally tore down this symbol of
aboslutist monarchy. Today the area is dominated by another
manifestation of the building rage of statesmen: since 1989 the new
Opéra de Paris or Opéra-Bastille has opened its doors (Monday-Saturday
10am-6.30pm). This gigantic glass cage has seats for a 2,700 strong
audience. The opera has totally transformed the character of the
district.
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