Editing Bastille (section)

===15th century===
[[File:Bastille in Medieval Paris Map..png|thumb|Parisian defences in 14th century: A – [[Louvre Palace|Louvre]]; B – Palais de Roi; C – Hôtel des Tournelles; D – [[Porte Saint-Antoine]]; E – Hôtel St Paul; F – the Bastille]]

During the 15th century the French kings continued to face threats both from the English and from the rival factions of the [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundians]] and the [[Armagnac (party)|Armagnacs]].<ref>Lansdale, pp. 219–220.</ref> The Bastille was strategically vital during the period, both because of its role as a royal fortress and safe-haven inside the capital, and because it controlled a critical route in and out of Paris.<ref>Bournon, p. 7.</ref> In 1418, for example, the future [[Charles VII of France|Charles VII]] took refuge in the Bastille during the Burgundian-led "Massacre of the Armagnacs" in Paris, before successfully fleeing the city through the Porte Saint-Antoine.<ref>Lansdale, p .220; Bournon, p. 7.</ref>
The Bastille was occasionally used to hold prisoners, including its creator, [[Hugues Aubriot]], who was the first person to be imprisoned there. In 1417, in addition to being a royal fortress, it formally became a state prison.<ref name=CoueretP4>Coueret, p. 4.</ref>{{refn|Hugues Aubriot was subsequently taken from the Bastille to the [[For-l'Évêque]], where he was then executed on charges of heresy.<ref>Coueret, pp. 4, 46.</ref>|group=upper-alpha}}

Despite the improved Parisian defences, [[Henry V of England]] captured Paris in 1420 and the Bastille was seized and garrisoned by the English for the next sixteen years.<ref name=CoueretP4/> Henry V appointed [[Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter]], as the new captain of the Bastille.<ref name=CoueretP4/> The English made more use of the Bastille as a prison; in 1430 there was a minor rebellion when some prisoners overpowered a sleeping guard and attempted to seize control of the fortress; this incident includes the first reference to a dedicated gaoler at the Bastille.<ref>Bournon, pp. 7, 48.</ref>

Paris was finally recaptured by Charles VII of France in 1436. When the French king re-entered the city, his enemies in Paris fortified themselves in the Bastille; after a siege, they eventually ran out of food, surrendered and were allowed to leave the city after the payment of a ransom.<ref>Le Bas, p. 191.</ref> The castle remained a key Parisian fortress, but was successfully seized by the Burgundians in 1464, when they convinced royal troops to surrender: once taken, this allowed their faction to make a surprise attack into Paris, almost resulting in the capture of the king.<ref>Lansdale, p. 220.</ref>

The Bastille was being used to hold prisoners once again by the reign of [[Louis XI]], who began to use it extensively as a state penitentiary.<ref>''[http://classes.bnf.fr/classes/pages/pdf/Bastille1.pdf La Bastille ou « l’Enfer des vivants »?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514183208/http://classes.bnf.fr/classes/pages/pdf/Bastille1.pdf |date=14 May 2011 }}'', [[Bibliothèque nationale de France]], accessed 8 August 2011; Lansdale, p. 220; Bournon, p. 49.</ref> An early escapee from the Bastille during this period was [[Antoine de Chabannes]], Count of Dammartin and a member of the [[League of the Public Weal]], who was imprisoned by Louis and escaped by boat in 1465.<ref>Coueret, p. 13; Bournon, p. 11.</ref> The captains of the Bastille during this period were primarily officers and royal functionaries; Philippe de Melun was the first captain to receive a salary in 1462, being awarded 1,200 [[French livre|livres]] a year.<ref>Bournon, pp. 49, 51.</ref>{{refn|Converting medieval financial figures to modern equivalents is notoriously challenging. For comparison, 1,200 livres was around 0.8% of the French Crown's annual income from royal taxes in 1460.<ref>Curry, p. 82.</ref>|group=upper-alpha}} Despite being a state prison, the Bastille retained the other traditional functions of a royal castle, and was used to accommodate visiting dignitaries, hosting some lavish entertainments given by Louis XI and [[Francis I of France|Francis I]].<ref>Funck-Brentano, p. 63.</ref>