Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay permanently stationed in Paris except in time of war. In 1776 de Launay succeeded M. de Jumilhac as Governor of the Bastille. As was the custom with many senior positions under the Ancien Régime, the marquis purchased the office of governor from his predecessor as a form of investment. The thirteen years that he spent in this position were uneventful, though on 19 December 1778 he reportedly made the mistake of failing to fire the cannon of the Bastille as a salute on the birth of a daughter (Madame Royale) to King Louis XVI. In August 1785 he was given
Château de Puy-Launay Château de Puy-Launay The Château de Puy-Launay is a ruined castle in the "commune" of Linac in the Lot "département" of France. A castle has existed on the site since the 14th centuries. It underwent major building works in the 15th century. The building is a three-storey latticed quadrangular structure. The north east corner forms a nook partly occupied by a square tower containing a spiral staircase. Two round towers, flanking the southern façade, were razed during the French Revolution. A round walk constructed of brick and wooden walls is still visible. In the basement are traces of an earlier