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It’s le 14 juillet so let’s wish our friends in France a « Bonne fête nationale ! » 🇫🇷
Related post > Celebrate France’s National Holiday With These French Recipes
On July 14, 1789, French revolutionaries stormed the Bastille prison, which held the opponents of King Louis XVI. It marked one of the victories against the monarchy during the French Revolution (1787-1799).
Contrary to popular belief, La Colonne de Juillet, or the July Column, does not commemorate the July 14, 1789 storming of the Bastille prison. (While the prison no longer exists, the column that stands in the middle of Place de la Bastille does mark the prison’s former location.)
Instead, the July Column commemorates the July Revolution, which took place from July 27-29, 1830, also known as Trois Glorieuses (or, “three glorious” days). This Second French Revolution led to the abdication of King Charles X and the end of the Bourbon Restoration. During King Louis-Philippe’s reign from 1830-1848, the upper middle class, or bourgeoisie secured more political and social power.
Designed by architects Jean-Antoine Alavoine and Joseph-Louis Duc and built between 1835-1840, the steel and bronze column is about 160 feet / 50 meters tall and weighs about 163,000 pounds / 74,000 kg. The monument is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN). They offer guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays, when visitors can step inside the base of the July Column to view stained glass windows, carved walls, and the burial vaults of seven hundred people who died during the July 1830 and February 1848 revolutions.
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Bonjour: A Francophile Blog 
Bonne fête nationale (en retard)! I’ve passed by La Colonne de Juillet multiple times during my visits to Paris, and it’s interesting to learn that it doesn’t commemorate July 14th, but rather almost half a century later, also in July. The things you learn in French history! Merci pour le partage, Darlene!
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I hear you. After all, it *is* the July Column in the square named Bastille! I’m sure the designers thought that would be confusing, too. The dates “27, 28, and 29” are on the base of the column, but I think they’re easy to miss. Thanks for reading, Rebecca!
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