The tall column that stands in the Place de la Bastille as a memorial to past revolutions will be re-opened to the public as part of a pedestrian revolution. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and the National Center for Monuments are putting 3 million Euros into restoration; the Place itself is slated for partial pedestrianization.
The column, built in the 1830s as a memorial and tomb for those who died in the 1830 revolution that brought Louis Philippe to power and also serves as a tomb for those who died bringing him down 18 years later, has been closed to visitors since 1985 for safety and “security reasons.” The restoration will not include the inside stairs to the top.
In local legend, mummies brought from Egypt by Napoleon are believed to be buried beneath the column along with several hundred Parisians killed in the brief revolution. Under the tower, boats on the Canal Saint-Martin pass through a mile-long tunnel connecting the Bassin de l’Arsenal to the open canal visitors are familiar with.
