Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay Bernard René Jourdan, marquis de Launay (1740–1789) was the French governor of the Bastille, the son of a previous governor, and commander of its garrison when the prison-fortress in Paris was stormed on 14 July 1789 ("see Storming of the Bastille"). The marquis Bernard-René Jordan de Launay was born on the night of 8/9 April 1740 in the Bastille where his father, René Jourdan de Launay, was governor. At the age of eight he was appointed to an honorary position in the King's Musketeers ("mousquetaires du roi"). He subsequently entered the French Guards ("gardes-françaises"), a regiment
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