Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V By the seventeenth century it had stopped to be important for defense.Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison.It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes.Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King The Bastille‟s workings were secret.Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles.Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall NO talking was allowed Worst of all，a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day，a week，a year，or forever.Only the King‟s letter could set him free

　　Over the years the number of arrests by King’S letter had become fewer.By the time of its fall.most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions(贪污腐败)of the government Voltaire，the famous French writer，spent a year there in 1717～1718，and another 12 days in 1726. For those who believed in free speech and free thinking，the Bastille stood for everything evil.The day it was captured，only seven prisoners were found inside.Still，the Bastille was hated by the people It was a symbol of the King‟s complete power.

为什么说对于巴黎的市民来说，巴士底狱的意义不同一般呢?巴士底狱这一建筑建于查理五世统治时期的1370年。17世纪的时候不再用于防御工事。教皇Richelieu把它变成了一所监狱。这并不是处罚普通罪行的一般监狱。在它巨大的门墙之内，关的仅仅是国王的敌人。巴士底狱的运作方式是秘密的。犯人被完全封闭的交通工具运进来。当值的士兵站岗时要面对高墙，而且禁止交谈。最糟糕的是，囚犯自己从不知道自己要在这关上一天，一周，一年，或者永远。只有国王的亲笔信可以释放里面的囚犯。

　　在此期间，被国王下令逮捕的人越来越少了。到巴士底狱被攻破的时候，大部分的囚犯都是针对统治者的贪污腐败进行抨击的文人。伏尔泰Voltaire，法国著名的文人，曾经二次被关在这里，一次从1717年到1718年的一年间，一次是在1726被关了12天。

　　对于信仰言论和思想自由的人们，巴士底狱是一切罪恶的象征。在它陷落的那天，里面只有7位囚犯。即使如此，人民还是对巴士底狱深恶痛绝。因为它是国王专政的象征。