Alexandre Dumas

The Man in the Iron Mask Illustrated Alexandre Dumas

The Man in the Iron Mask (French: L'Homme au Masque de Fer; c. 1640 - 19 November 1703) was an unidentified prisoner who was arrested in 1669 or 1670 and subsequently held in a number of French prisons, including the Bastille and the Fortress of Pignerol (modern Pinerolo, Italy). He was held in the custody of the same jailer, Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars, for a period of 34 years. He died on 19 November 1703 under the name Marchioly, during the reign of King Louis XIV of France (1643-1715). No one is known to have seen his face because it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, and the true identity of the prisoner remains a mystery; it has been extensively debated by historians, and various theories have been expounded in numerous books and films.