The Bastille, a 14th-century fortress built to safeguard the city gates, was famously stormed on the 14th of July 1789, igniting the French Revolution. Under Cardinal Richelieu, it was converted into a prison. Now, the bustling square at its center, the Place de la Bastille, is home to the monumental Colonne de Juillet, a soaring 52m-tall, green-bronze column crowned with a golden, winged statue of Liberty. Buried beneath the square lie the remains of revolutionaries from the 1830 uprising. With the completion of major redevelopments linking the Place de la Bastille to the Bassin de l'Arsenal, the crypt beneath the square will soon be opened to the public.