04 February 2008

Château of Roquebrune - Guardhouse: the Prison

We've walked up the five steps you saw in yesterday's photograph and here you see the prison. In the XVIIth century the Princes of Monaco installed this prison in the south room of the former guardhouse. Prisoners were attached to chains fixed to a ball. They were usually thieves, even fellow soldiers and they were kept here till their trial at La Turbie or Nice. Others were keep here under a private arrest warrant of the Princes of Monaco.

The last people to occupy this prison appear to be the 'Barbets' (see painting below) who fought against the French revolutionary troops after the latter had occupied and then annexed (decree dated 15th February 1793) the Principality of Monaco which at that time included Menton and Roquebrune-cap-Martin.

You'll see the entry to the prison in the photograph below. Tomorrow? The Archers' Room which was dug out of the puddingstone mass. Here you'll see where the soldiers slept.

17 comments:

  1. Five steps that I can climb...lol. This is so interesting, they even have the ball and chains in the prison as exhibits.

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  2. A fabulous look back in time.

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  3. That is not a place I would want to be. No lighting, I wonder how many people went crazy from being in there?

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  4. Surely a lot of them did, Jim. It must've been horrendous.

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  5. VERY COOL photos, Jilly, wonderful!

    I love this sort of thing. Nice textures.

    Mary

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  6. The bleakness of the place would certainly infect my spirit if I were held in chains there.

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  7. It isn't such a bad looking place, until you regard the ball and chain.

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  8. It looks almost like their are electrical outlets--a yoga cushion and a laptop and you could while away the hours...

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  9. Add another window, fix the place up a bit, quite habitable! (The ball and chain would have to go!)

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  10. Alice and Quintarantino - that window looks over the land below the village to the sea, so yes, I suppose they did have a view - if their chains allowed them to get near it!

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  11. that place is soo eeerieeeee... but so interesting.

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  12. a beautiful room, well isolated.

    beautiful construction


    but I will seek another housing

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  13. Not exactly a cozy little room!

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