Marquis de Sade, Man in Iron Mask haunt Paris exhibit on the Bastille
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An antique maquette of the Bastille with original keys is on loan from the French National Archives to "The Bastille: Hell of the Living," an exhibition at the Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal in Paris that tells the story of the royal prison. -
Personal belongings of Robert Francois Damiens, whose attempt on the life of Louis XV led to his brutal execution, are part of the exhibit.
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PARIS -- On July 14, 1789, Louis XVI's diary summed up the events of the day in one word: "Rien" (Nothing). The king was mistaken: The storming of the Bastille triggered the French Revolution and his own demise.
Apart from the pink cobbles outlining its former location, there is little to remind the history buff of the eight-towered fortress. It was razed and its stones used for the construction of the Pont de la Concorde, "to give the people the opportunity to trample on tyranny."
Through February, there's a chance to learn more about the dreaded symbol of the Ancien Regime. "The Bastille: Hell of the Living," a fascinating exhibition at the Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal in Paris, tells the story of the royal prison.
The Bastille was built in the 14th century during the Hundred Years' War to protect Paris against attacks by the English. That was a flop: In the course of history, the fortress was besieged seven times and surrendered six times.
In the 17th century, it was turned into a jail -- not just for aristocrats, as a popular myth has it. It accommodated a colorful mix of common criminals, lunatics, writers of forbidden pamphlets and disgraced courtiers -- many imprisoned without due process solely on the basis of a royal "lettre de cachet," sometimes on the most frivolous pretexts.
It's true that grandees were better treated. Up to a point, they could maintain their former lifestyle, bringing over their own furniture, servants, books and wine.
One of those was the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask who was rumored to be a twin brother or an illegitimate son of Louis XIV. In fact, he wore a velvet mask, and the death certificate in the show identifies him as "M. de Marchiel."
Another prominent blue blood was the Marquis de Sade who, at the instigation of his mother-in-law, spent more than 20 years behind bars. The show includes several of his letters and manuscripts.
The most glittering among the 235 items is a copy of the diamond necklace that the credulous Cardinal de Rohan was tricked into thinking he had purchased for Marie Antoinette. After 10 months in custody, he was acquitted of fraud, yet his reputation was in tatters, and so was that of the queen, who had been exposed as vain and coquettish.
First Published December 27, 2010 12:00 am
