Man In The Iron Mask Unknown Mysterious Prisoner
The Man in the Iron Mask is the name given to an unknown mysterious prisoner who was arrested in 1669 until his death in 1703. He was held in the prison for almost 34 years. His identity has been a mystery because no one had ever seen his face because it was always hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth. Recent research suggests that his name Eustache Dauger, but this still has not been completely proven.
In July 1669, King Louis XIV's minister sent a letter to Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars that a prisoner named Eustache Dauger will arrive in the next month. Louis also asked him to prepare a cell with multiple doors, one closing upon the other to prevent anyone from outside listening in. The prisoner was told not to require much since he was only a valet.
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| Pict of Man In The Iron Mask |
The prison at Pignerol was used for men who were considered an embarrassment to the state. Eustache Dauger really served as valet to another guest of the prison. On 18 September 1698, Saint-Mars took up his new positions as governor of the Bastille prison in Paris, bringing Dauger with him. He was placed in a solitary cell in the pre-furnished third chamber of the Bertaudière tower. The masked prisoner died on 19 November 1703 and was buried next day under the name of Marchioly. All of his furniture and clothing was destroyed afterward.
A lot of speculations appear about the mask man’s identity. The various theories have been expounded in numerous books and films too. The most popular theories about him were the son of Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin, an illegitimate half-brother of King Louis XIV. Another interesting theory by Louis Gendron who passed coded letters to Etienne Bazeries in French Army's cryptographic department. After three years of decrypting, Bazeries managed to read some messages of Louis XIV letter. One of them referred to a prisoner identified as General Vivien de Bulonde who was accused of cowardice during the siege of Cuneo in 1691 which referred to an iron man. However, this theory has not been verified and the dates are also inconsistent with other records. The iron mask man’s identity still remains a mystery.