Historic French prison (8)
I believe the answer is:
bastille
'historic french prison' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for bastille that I've seen before include "Ballet is about notorious prison in Paris" , "Building stormed in Paris" , "Historic French prison" , "Fastness" , "Parisian prison stormed on July fourteenth, seventeen eighty-nine" .)