LA CONCERGERIE REMIND US TO FRENCH REVOLUTION , THE BIRTH OF DEMOCRACY

 

picture by hendra boeniardi

REVOLUTIONARY TRIBUNAL , NEAR TO 2600 PRISONERS SENT TO GUILLOTINE
After the Restoration of the Bourbons in the 19th century, the Conciergerie continued to be used as a prison for high-value prisoners — most notably the future Napoleon III. Marie Antoinette's cell was converted into a chapel dedicated to her memory. The Conciergerie and Palais de Justice underwent major rebuilding in the mid-19th century, totally altering their external appearance. While the building looks like a brooding medieval fortress, this appearance actually only dates from about 1858. The Conciergerie was decommissioned in 1914 and was opened to the public as a national historical monument. It is today a popular tourist attraction, although only a relatively small part of the building is open to public access — much of it is still used for the Paris law courts.(Wikipedia)