Born in the poorest quartier in Paris, Henri struggled to survive beneath the shadow of the Bastille. The fortress prison was demolished soon after sans-culottes stormed it, in 1789, and its remains were sold as souvenirs, some of which you can view at Musée Carnavalet. While avoiding traffic as you cross the square, look for the small cobbles that outline the 13th century prison.
Explore the street on which Henri lived, rue de Cotte, and the neighborhood market, Marché d’Aligre.
The bells of Église Sainte-Marguerite called Henri to mass and sounded the tocsin.
Napoleon I ordered clean drinking water to be delivered to Parisians via Canal Saint-Martin, which flows beneath Place de la Bastille. Taking a boat trip on the waterway is my favorite relaxing thing to do in Paris.