A strange form, leading nowhere. Anyone crossing the Place de la Bastille in the 4th arrondissement of Paris may notice a strange dotted line on the ground. Leading straight onto the road, the walker would be ill-advised to follow the path. In reality, the row of bronze nails materializes the location of the foundations of the prison that stood until the French Revolution.
Rubble in the subway
These nails replace the special paving, which already replicated the prison’s plan and was destroyed during the renovation of the square between 2019 and 2021. Planted at the intersection of Rue Saint-Antoine with the square, the nails extend in front of Café Français, across Rue Saint-Antoine, and in front of the branch of the Banque de France. Nearby, a plaque affixed to a building allows curious people to visualize the complete plan of the building.
The layout follows that of the foundations of the Bastille fortress, destroyed during the French Revolution. (©DG / actu Paris)
Remains of a tower of the fortress had been unearthed in 1899 during the construction of Line 1 of the subway. They are still visible in the Henri-Galli square, a short distance from the square. At the Bastille station, remains of the moat wall are also visible on the platforms of Line 5.
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