Le 14 juillet
Arial displays above the Grand Palais in Paris Everyone knows the story behind Bastille Day, right? The lowly French peasants rose up against the cruel rich aristocracy, freed their comrades from prison, and founded the French Republic we know today. But there are some little-known facts and myths about the fateful day which shaped French history. Did you know… In France no-one calls it Bastille Day? It is either referred to as le Quatorze Juillet (14 th July) or la Fête Nationale (The National Holiday). The infamous storming of the Bastille prison only freed a handful of prisoners? Whilst the revolutionary’s expected to find numerous inmates, the prison was nearly empty except for 7 political prisoners in good health. The identities of the infamous 7 were never confirmed. Several different dates were considered for the national holiday? In 1880, the French senate thought the country needed a new national holiday and, after much debate, it was agreed that 14th July wo...