Dungeons are Scary Places

Dungeons are Scary Places

"Dungeon" is a corruption of donjon, the French term for tower. Contrary to popular belief of the dank, dark basement pit, most prisoners were held in the castle's highest tower, passage to which was guarded by soldiers. Basement or pit dungeons did exist with famous prisoners immortalized in literature.

For six years Francois Bonivard was chained to a pillar in Switzerland's Château Chillon, near Montreux. In the early 1800s, romantic poet Lord Byron spent a night in the dungeon and wrote The Prisoner of Chillon. His name can still be seen carved into the third pillar.

The Château d'If near Marseille, France was the setting where Alexandre Dumas père's fictional character ... escaped to become The Count of Monte Cristo.

Medieval castles' stone walls, narrow windows and limited access points led many to be converted into prisons. The Tower of London and Paris' Bastille housed many political prisoners over the years.

Conspiracy in the Cellars

Conspiracy in the Cellars 

"Reflecting the growing importance of the de Beauchamps, his son Guy (1298-1315) was one of a group of earls known as the Ordainers. With their own interests firmly at heart, they aimed to impose, through a list of ordinances or constitutional demands, some form of control over the way King Edward II, both raised his revenue and governed the kingdom. For some Ordainers, complaints about royal power (especially royal spending) centered on the role of Piers Gaveston in the court, he was Gascon Knight and the King's lover." In 1312, given a false promise of safety, Gaveston surrendered. Seizing the prisoner, Guy de Beauchamp brought him to Warwick Castle where he was tried for treason in the Great Hall. Gaveston was found guilty of his crimes and was sentenced to death. He was taken to Blacklow Hill, located just outside of Warwick, where he was beheaded.
The bloody history of Warwick Castle is steeped in treachery, murder, mystery and intrigue. Famous historical figures and events feature in the history of Warwick Castle including William the Conqueror, the Wars of the Roses, John Dudley, Lady Jane Grey, the Civil War and the Age of Chivalry with Knights and tournaments. The History of Warwick Castle events also features a number of sieges when the castle was bombarded with missiles from massive siege engines such as the Mangonel and the mighty Trebuchet