French castles And Their Dungeons

Can you imagine being thrown into a dungeon in one of those French castles hundreds of years ago. To me the thought would be quite horrible, it makes me shudder. I know we have prisons, but come on, they have radios, TVs, heating, light, food and drink.

The meaning of the word dungeon comes from the French word "Donjon," the castle towers were called Donjons and that is were they put their important prisoners, but as time passed they stopped building the castle towers for the prisoners and instead built them below the castle, this area then become the dungeons.

Dungeons were a place that in apparent extreme circumstances prisoners were tortured, because the dungeons were built below the castle it meant that the Prisoners screams were not easily heard. Some of the torture instruments used on the prisoners were horrific, for instance the branding irons, the rack, the collar and the flogging whip.

All I can say is that I am glad it was in medieval times and not now, though saying that, if that still happened now we might all live in a safer and better world.

For certain though, the prisons were not meant for an enjoyable and comfortable stay, even though, the likes of the lords and the ladies under house arrest were treated reasonably well, and given plenty of freedom.

Some, like Mary, Queen of Scots, could often come and go freely, as long as she was accompanied by a guard at all times. Then there were the other political prisoners which were also given the freedom to roam round the passages of the castle, while some for instance, like Henry Marten and Eleanor, "the Beauty of Brittany", spent years confined inside a French castles prison tower.

Here are some painting pictures that show you some of these glorious French castles, but the dungeons and their occupants are not visible: French Castles Pictures

Hope this is of interest to you like it was to myself.