The Bastille's name was taken from the medieval French word bastide or fortress. It was constructed to defend the east side of Paris.
The Bastille was completed in 1382 with walls over 80ft in height that were surrounded by a moat.
In the first half of the 17th century it was used as a prison. Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister of Louis XIII, began to use the fortress as a prison till 1789.
By 1789, the liberators had discovered that life inside the Bastille was more comfortable than they had imagined.
Prisoners could bring in their own furniture and meals and the wealthy ones could even bring in their servants.
By 1789, life inside the Bastille could no longer be compared to the horrors of the legend.

On July 14th 1789, the Bastille proudly stood invincible.
On that day in July, a rumor had circulated that troops were going to be sent in order to break up the National Assembly.
A mob of people surrounded the Bastille. Three-hundred guards had deserted their regiments and if it were not for them, the Bastille would not have been threatened so strongly.
Before the surrender only one of the defenders had been killed and three wounded.
On the attackers side, eighty-three lay dead and seventy-three injured.

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