In France, there are certain holidays that cannot be ignored. Such is the case with July 14th, a day of celebration that sees military parades, firemen's balls and fireworks. But do you know why July 14 is a public holiday in France? We'll refresh your memory.
Of course, July 14 refers to the storming of the Bastille, the famous royal prison, on July 14, 1789. On that day, five cannons taken in the morning from Les Invalides were placed in front of the Bastille by French guards. At around 5 p.m., the Bastille garrison surrendered, and the Parisians, who had come to collect gunpowder and bullets, took over the Bastille. It was not until the following morning that King Louis XVI learned of the event. The Duc de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt left a famous note, " Non, Sire, c'est une révolution " (" No, Sire, it's a revolution "). This historic event marked the beginning of the French Revolution, and the end of absolute monarchy.
But the date July 14th also refers to the Fête de la Fédération. One year after the storming of the Bastille, on July 14, 1790, this great event marked the reconciliation of the king and the French people. King Louis XVI intervened as head of the executive and took an oath to the Constitution and the Nation, in the presence of deputies from the 83 departments of the day.
Finally, in 1880, Republican deputies were faced with the need to offer the Nation a collective celebration. But which date and how to choose it? Several dates were discussed, but in the end, July 14 was chosen. On May 21, 1880, Benjamin Raspail, a deputy from Paris, tabled a bill. The law was promulgated on July 6, ten years after the birth of the Third Republic. July 14, the national holiday, was also declared a public holiday.
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July 14th in Paris and the Ile-de-France region: events and exhibitions in museums and monuments
