On Saturday, July 14, France celebrates Bastille Day. The national day marking the spontaneous start of the Revolution on July 14, 1789, overturning the monarchy and setting in motion the establishment of the Republic and laying the foundations of the modern French state, is the paramount historical annual event for all French patriots.

But since the islamist atrocity on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice two years ago, in which 85 people lost their lives, Bastille Day also signifies a tragic remembrance of so many innocent lives lost.

In the immediate aftermath of the outrage, in which a recent convert to radical Islam ploughed through the crowds of revellers in a rented truck, the blame game raised serious questions of accountability and responsibility.

Two years later, lessons have been learned. Security has been tightened. Intelligence improved. But an indelible sadness remains.

The tragedy of Nice on Bastille Day, 2016, remains etched in the memory. As France celebrates the preface to its bloody Revolution, few will forget July 14, 2016.