The Bastille: Myth, Memory, and the Storming of 1789

In this milestone episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 — not just the event itself, but the layers of myth and memory that turned an old fortress-prison into the symbol of the French Revolution. They separate the grim reality of the prison (only seven inmates, none of them political celebrities) from the explosive popular fury that made it a target. They walk through the day itself: the crowds at the Invalides seizing muskets, the tense negotiations at the Bastille with Governor Bernard-René de Launay, the gunfire that sparked chaos, and the brutal aftermath that ended with de Launay's death. Lucas explains how the revolutionaries themselves spun the story — from the fake 'prisoners freed' to the key to the Bastille sent to George Washington — and how the site was deliberately dismantled piece by piece, becoming both a relic and a rallying point. They also touch on the later controversies: the 1830s demolition of the Bastille's remains, the July Column built over its foundations, and the modern debates about what the Bastille actually meant. The episode ends with a reflective question about what we choose to remember and why, tying the Bastille's legacy to today's politics of memory. #Bastille #FrenchRevolution #1789 #July14 #StormingOfTheBastille #BernardRenéDeLaunay #KeyToTheBastille #GeorgeWashington #JulyColumn #PlaceDeLaBastille #RevolutionaryMemory #Prison #Fortress #Paris #RevolutionarySymbol #History #FexingoHistory #France Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo