Editing Bastille (section)

===16th century===
[[File:Bastille district 1575.jpg|thumb|350px|A depiction of the Bastille and neighbouring Paris in 1575, showing the new [[bastion]]s, the new Porte Saint-Antoine, the [[Arsenal of Paris|Arsenal]] complex and the open countryside beyond the city defences]]

During the 16th century the area around the Bastille developed further. Early modern Paris continued to grow, and by the end of the century it had around 250,000 inhabitants and was one of the most populous cities in Europe, though still largely contained within its old city walls – open countryside remained beyond the Bastille.<ref>Munck, p. 168.</ref> The [[Arsenal of Paris|Arsenal]], a large military-industrial complex tasked with the production of cannons and other weapons for the royal armies, was established to the south of the Bastille by Francis I, and substantially expanded under [[Charles IX of France|Charles IX]].<ref>Lansdale, p. 285.</ref> An arms depot was later built above the Porte Saint-Antoine, all making the Bastille part of a major military centre.<ref>Muzerelle (2010a), p. 14.</ref>

During the 1550s, [[Henry II of France|Henry II]] became concerned about the threat of an English or [[Holy Roman Empire]] attack on Paris, and strengthened the defences of the Bastille in response.<ref>Funck-Bretano, p. 61; Muzerelle (2010a), p. 14.</ref> The southern gateway into the Bastille became the principal entrance to the castle in 1553, the other three gateways being closed.<ref name=CoueretP4/> A [[bastion]], a large earthwork projecting eastwards from the Bastille, was built to provide additional [[Suppressive fire|protective fire]] for the Bastille and the Arsenal; the bastion was reached from the fortress across a stone [[abutment]] using a connecting drawbridge that was installed in the Bastille's Comté tower.<ref>Coueret, pp. 45, 57.</ref> In 1573 the Porte Saint-Antoine was also altered – the drawbridges were replaced with a fixed bridge, and the medieval gatehouse was replaced with a [[triumphal arch]].<ref>Coueret, p. 37.</ref>

[[File:Callot view of the Bastille.jpg|thumb|left|The Bastille in 1647, illustrating the bastion, the stone [[abutment]] linking to the fortress and the new southern entrance built during the 1550s]]

The Bastille was involved in the numerous [[French Wars of Religion|wars of religion]] fought between Protestant and Catholic factions with support from foreign allies during the second half of the 16th century. Religious and political tensions in Paris initially exploded in the [[Day of the Barricades]] on 12 May 1588, when hard-line Catholics rose up in revolt against the relatively moderate [[Henry III of France|Henry III]]. After a day's fighting had occurred across the capital, Henry III fled and the Bastille surrendered to [[Henry I, Duke of Guise]], the leader of the [[Catholic League (French)|Catholic League]], who appointed Bussy-Leclerc as his new captain.<ref>Knecht, p. 449.</ref> Henry III responded by having the Duke and his brother murdered later that year, whereupon Bussy-Leclerc used the Bastille as a base to mount a raid on the [[Parlement of Paris]], arresting the president and other magistrates, whom he suspected of having royalist sympathies, and detaining them in the Bastille.<ref>Knecht, pp. 451–2.</ref> They were not released until the intervention of [[Charles, Duke of Mayenne]], and the payment of substantial ransoms.<ref>Knecht, p. 452.</ref> Bussy-Leclerc remained in control of the Bastille until December 1592, when, following further political instability, he was forced to surrender the castle to Charles and flee the city.<ref>Knecht, p. 459.</ref>

It took [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]] several years to retake Paris. By the time he succeeded in 1594, the area around the Bastille formed the main stronghold for the Catholic League and their foreign allies, including Spanish and Flemish troops.<ref>Freer, p. 358.</ref> The Bastille itself was controlled by a League captain called du Bourg.<ref>Freer, pp. 248, 356.</ref> Henry entered Paris early on the morning of 23 March, through the Porte-Neuve rather than the Saint-Antoine and seized the capital, including the Arsenal complex that neighboured the Bastille.<ref>Freer, pp. 354–6.</ref> The Bastille was now an isolated League stronghold, with the remaining members of the League and their allies clustering around it for safety.<ref>Freer, pp. 356, 357–8.</ref> After several days of tension, an agreement was finally reached for this rump element to leave safely, and on 27 March du Bourg surrendered the Bastille and left the city himself.<ref>Freer, pp. 364, 379.</ref>