prison – Snapping The Globe

Marie Antoinette Was Here

On the famed Île de la Cité, visitors are drawn to the magnificent stained glass windows of Sainte-Chapelle and the medieval French Gothic cathedral, Notre Dame. Yet, another historic structure, La Conciergerie, just next door to Sainte-Chapelle, is often overlooked!

But why? Perhaps the average tourist does not realize the significance of the building situated on the Boulevard du Palais, only wanting to check the boxes of the most famous landmarks in the City of Lights. Or, maybe…they simply do not allocate enough time for a building they may think is only a judicial one…not one that dates back to the 6th century and played an important role in the French Revolution.

Located within a fortified complex on the Île de la Cité, in the Seine River, the impressive medieval palace, was built as an historic Gothic dwelling to house the Kings of France, beginning with King Clovis. In 1200, King Philip II then made the Palais de la Cite the royal seat of power, remaining so until the 14th century. At this time, it then took on a judicial role as the Kings of France vacated to settle in at the Louvre and Chateau du Vincennes. As a Palace of Justice, it saw the addition of prison cells and became a royal prison, chancellery and seat of Parliament.

During the French Revolution of 1789 and the period of “The Terror” (1793-1795), the palace held and tried many political prisoners, but it is one that it is most famous for. It was in La Conciergerie that the ill-fated Queen Marie Antoinette was detained in captivity until her execution, along with 2700 others.

Marie Antoinette’s fate, a guillotined beheading, was similar to most prisoners who spent time at the converted cells within the palace walls. The word “conciergerie” is a French term meaning, “lodging of a housekeeper” as it was looked after by the person left in charge of the palace in the absence of the King and was known as one of the worst prisons of the period. Very few prisoners made it out alive, succumbing to illness, neglect or the blade of the guillotine.

While a majority of La Conciergerie’s square footage is dedicated to courthouses and administrative buildings, a most important historical part is open to the general public and has been transformed into a museum.

Having purchased a combination ticket with Sainte-Chapelle, we proceeded directly to the entry point on Boulevard du Palais once our tour of the holy chapel was complete. Since La Conciergerie still operates as a government building, we were guided through a security complex so that we and our belongings could be searched and run through metal detectors before being allowed access to the premises.

Since there are no guided tours, we were given a small tablet to aid in our navigation of the premises. As we entered the museum, we first moved through the Grande Salle (Great Hall), a palatial space reminiscent of its royal status as home to the kings and then on to the lower level, La Salle des Gens D’Armes (Soldier’s Hall). This massive space once served as an enormous dining room for palace workers and accommodated royal banquets and other formal occasions within its impressive 210 foot long area, divided by grand columns and vaulted 28 foot ceilings.

*La Salle des Gens D’Armes (Soldier’s Hall)*

The corridor of cells allowed for the understanding of the former prisoners’ living conditions. These dark and narrow cells with no furnishings, were not a place of luxury. While we gazed upon clean floors and felt the neutral climate from modern heating and air conditioning, it was certain that this place was once overrun with rats and other vermin and that prisoners suffered from both heat and cold and slept on the floor. By stark contrast, we were also privy to the small prison warden offices, complete with period furniture and more conveniences as well as the cells outfitted for wealthier prisoners.

A mural that shows the names of some individuals victimized by the Reign of Terror and imprisoned or tried at the Conciergerie. Their names are printed in different colors depending on their punishments, with those executed by guillotine shown in red. Other plaques and historical displays throughout the museum portion of the visit recount the history of the Revolution and the Reign of Terror, led by the infamous Robespierre.

Finally, we traversed the stairs to the site of the cell of Marie Antoinette. The queen was held in this cell during the final two months of her life during the Reign of Terror. Here, the sanctuary, Girodins’ Chapel, was originally a place of worship that was then converted to a collective cell during the Revolution. After the Revolution, the “Expiatory Chapel” was built to atone for the queen’s execution and pay tribute to her and other royal figures executed during that time period. Nestled in the back of the chapel, there is a shrine covered with black walls, covered in silver tears. Located at the supposed site of the queen’s bed, a faux marble altar is decorated with a text to honor her memory and the last letter from Marie-Antoinette to her sister-in-law, Madame Elisabeth. Period furnishings show how her cell may have been decorated as in contrast to the less wealthy prisoners; she was given a bed, furniture and servants. A detailed reconstruction of her cell is available for inspection.

*Re-creation of Marie Antoinette’s cell*

Just outside of Girodins’ Chapel is the garden in the women’s courtyard. Here, female prisoners were allowed to wash their clothes in the fountain, walk around, and eat outside, a nice perk not afforded to the male prisoners.

La Conciergerie is not a large museum but an important one and we completed our tour in a short time span. If you find time to traverse the Île de la Cité or visit Notre Dame (when reopened) or Sainte-Chapelle, take an extra hour to tour this interesting piece of Paris’ significant history. It may not have the views of the Eiffel Tower or the artwork of the Louvre, but it will give an understanding of the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette’s last days. While it is not the only site where you might see an actual guillotine blade, it might be the one worth remembering.

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La Conciergerie

Address: 2 Boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris
Hours: 0930-1800, daily. Closed December 25 and May 1.
Admission: Adults, €11.50 (US$ 12.60), Under 18 years and EU Citizens (18 – 25 years old), free entry, Persons with reduced mobility and accompanying person, free entry. Free entry with Paris Pass and Paris Museum Pass. Free entry on the first Sunday of the month from November to March. Combined ticket with Sainte-Chapelle, €18.50
Getting There: Metro, Cité, line 4. Bus, lines 21, 24, 27, 38, 58, 81 and 85.

Castle of the Holy Angel

On countless occasions, I have walked by the Castel Sant’Angelo…most times heading over the Ponte Sant’Angelo bridge to the Piazza Navona, the location of two of my favorite restaurants and my absolute fave gelato shop.

Having always admired it for its spherical silhouette and commanding position along the river, I am not sure why I had never ventured inside.

With the summer crowds beginning to thin, my mind filled with the opportunities this offered. Uncrowded streets, not many long lines. I wanted to experience something different, yet still get my daily dose of culture and that could mean any number of locations to visit.

Heading out with a friend, we had decided to have dinner at The Old Bear, near the Piazza Navona, after whatever adventure we decided upon.

Hmmm…just across the river was the Castle Sant’Angelo. I was in the mood for pumpkin lasagna and yes, a castle!

Intended for use as a mausoleum by Emperor Hadrian and his family, the construction of the Castle Sant’Angelo was begun in the year 135. Only requiring four years to complete, the building was then given over to the military, eventually being integrated into the Aurelian Walls, which enclosed the city of Rome including all seven of its hills, the Campus Martius and Trastevere.

As the plague ravaged the city, Pope Gregory I experienced a vision of Saint Michael the Archangel on the top of the castle announcing the end of the epidemic. As we stood on the Ponte Sant’Angelo, itself lined with amazing angelic statues, we gazed upon the fortress and at the statue of Saint Michael comparatively placed on the apex.

After paying our entrance fee, we made our way through the five floors which are reached by a spiral ramp that first reaches the chamber of ashes and eventually cells where many historical figures were imprisoned.

There are many medieval features of the castle from its time served as a fortress. The spiraling ramp provided rapid return to safety as well as a way for horseback riders to transit the space, a small wooden bridge that sits across the imperial tomb and a drawbridge. During the years of rebellion, four bastions were added to improve the fortification of the castle. These were the bastions of San Marco, San Luca, San Giovanni and San Matteo and as we made our way through these additions, we were able to witness the many wooden catapults, rusty cannons and marble cannon balls that were useful during the attacks the city continuously received. In addition, the Bastion of San Giovanni was home to a sixteenth century gunsmith workshop in the tower and in a reconstruction of the space, we were able to take note of the items used to construct the devices.

The castle was a maze of stairs, enclosed spaces and walkways most extremely well preserved due to its continual modifications over the centuries. Finding ourselves in the Courtyard of Honour which contains the papal apartments, used as a place of refuge by the pope when they were forced to flee the Vatican, we spied the stairs which led us to the second highest point on the castle…the one where we could stand beneath the great statue of Michael the Archangel. It is here, as well, that you can stand and admire the city, including the commanding St. Peter’s Basilica, the river below and all points past.

The loggias were my favorite parts of the castle. The smaller of the two was built at the beginning of the sixteenth century by Pope Julius II of Rovere (you can spot his name and coat of arms on the lintel), it was used as a place for the pope to bless the crowds of pilgrims on their way towards St. Peter’s Basilica. The Grand Loggia, completed in 1543, was completed by Pope Paul III (notable for commissioning the Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel), and conceived as an entrance to his private apartments. It is decorated with episodes of Hadrian’s life and images of the monuments that he had built, including the mausoleum itself.

Stopping at the small cafe for a short time to escape the incessant drizzle that had started, we grabbed a beverage and enjoyed the warmth and smells of the pastries served here.

Spying a break in the weather, we decided to continue on, admiring the architectural details of the castle. Eventually, we came to something totally unexpected. Within the beautifully decorated rooms, named after Clement VII Medici, we happened upon an Italian fashion exhibit showcasing haute couture and jewelry by Italian designers, including Bulgari and Valentino. Beautifully dressed mannequins and display cases filled the apartments, including the Apollo Room, which if you were not overwhelmed by the fashion displayed here, you certainly were by the magnificent marble fireplace, frescoes, door friezes and tiled floors.

Sadly, the one thing that I was so anxious to visit within the castle was the Passetto di Borgo; the passageway built in 1277 that enabled a periously-threatened pope to make a safe getaway. In 1494, Pope Alexander VI transited this passage as Charles VIII invaded the city and Clement VII escaped using the passage during the Sack of Rome in 1527, when troops of the Holy Roman Emperor massacred almost the entire Swiss Guard on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica. In 2000, in honor of the Pope’s Jubilee year, the Passetto di Borgo was renovated and temporarily re-opened. It can be visited during specific times with the accompaniment of a guide.

Heading out of the castle, we found the rain had ceased and the darkening sky was beginning to clear. Examining the castle from the ground perspective, we walked across the bridge stopping with the masses to get one last look.

Never before having realized that Michael the Archangel was the statue that sat upon the top of the castle, I glanced at the angel once again and had a feeling of peace.

Everyone always wants a guardian angel looking out over them!

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Castle Sant’Angelo

http://castelsantangelo.beniculturali.it/
Address: Lungotevere Castello, 50, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
Hours: Daily, 0900-1930. Closed January 1, May 1 and December 25.
Admission: €15.00, € 2.00 reduced. The entrance ticket also allows entry to the National Museum of the Palazzo di Venezia in the following eight days after purchase. From October to March, free entry on the first Sunday of each month. Guided tours included in the admission ticket. November to March, English, 1000 and 1500, Italian, 1130 and 1630. April to October, English 1000 and 1630, Italian, 1130 and 1800.
Getting There: Metro, Ottaviano. Buses numbers 23, 34, 49, 64, 87, 280, 492, 926 and 990.

Inescapable

Clint Eastwood made it out.

But…that was just a movie.

In reality, during the twenty-nine years of operation, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary held fast to its claim that it was inescapable. Thirty-six prisoners made fourteen escape attempts (two men tried twice). Of these escapees, twenty-three were caught alive, six were shot and killed during their attempt, two drowned and five were listed as missing and presumed drowned.

From 1934 until 1963, the isolated Alcatraz Island maintained a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison and a federal prison. Some of the most infamous criminals were housed here, including Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the “Birdman of Alcatraz”), George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Bumpy Johnson, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Mickey Cohen, Arthur R. “Doc” Barker and Alvin “Creepy” Karpis.

Today, Alcatraz Island is only home to thousands of nesting birds, the well-preserved prison and other buildings and can be visited via tours from the mainland.

It had been many years since I had visited the famous attraction and I was excited to return since I didn’t remember much about my former visit. Since tickets to visit Alcatraz usually sell out each day, once I arrived in San Francisco, my first order of business was to book the tour. Selecting an afternoon departure from Pier 33, I anticipated spending a couple of hours making our way through the site.

On the day of our tour, we were ushered on to the Alcatraz Cruises boat with hundreds of other guests and prepared for the fifteen minute cruise to the island. The boat’s flag fluttered in the wind and we watched the mainland grow smaller as Alcatraz grew larger.

Soon we were making our way across the gangway to the open space at the ranger’s station. A park ranger gave us an introduction to the history of the island and then we were free to meander. A short movie gave us a brief history of the prison and the island and as we walked around, we admired the buildings, many in decline, that made up the premises.

Heading into the Main Prison area, where we would collect our Cellhouse Audio Tour guide, we noted that this was the area where prisoners were readied to be introduced to their confinement. It was here that prisoners were given their uniforms and required to take a shower in one of the long, open-air shower stalls.

This was the start of life in Alcatraz.

Listening to the start of my audio tour, I walked into the main prison area. Here, rows and rows of small cubicles in Cell Blocks B and C, each with a toilet, sink and cot, were displayed before me, once the home to a large prison population. These small cells were only 5 feet by 9 feet wide and each housed one prisoner.

The audio tour, the highlight of an Alcatraz Prison visit, is narrated by the some of the ex-prisoners and the correctional officers and describes the life they lived here at Alcatraz. Knowing that some of these narrators are no longer with us lent to the eerie feeling of this extinct facility.

It was interesting to hear the stories of the attempted prison breaks and even see the dummy that was made to fool the guards into thinking that the prisoner was still asleep in his bed. Cell Block D, was also fascinating, because it was here that the most dangerous criminals were kept. Though these cells were a little more spacious, prisoners were confined twenty-four hours a day and only allowed one visit to the recreation yard per week…alone.

Yet, it was “The Hole” that captured my attention. When prisoners were not cooperative, they were confined in “The Hole”, a dark room, with no interaction with the general population. As I stood inside this cramped, darkened space, even with the door open, it was understandable that many of the prisoners were mentally affected by their time here.

Our audio tour guided us through the kitchen and dining areas, where the inmates consumed their meals (reportedly the best in the system) and even into the recreation yard where they were allowed to exercise in the cool, bay air each day.

Continuing on, we were guided through the library, where many prisoners sought escape through books and even some attempted to better themselves through self-education. The visitation area was nearby and a place where prisoners could enjoy a visit from a loved one, once a month, with approval from the warden. No physical touching was allowed and inmates were forbidden to discuss current events or relate anything concerning prison life. Conversations were conducted via intercom and monitored by a correctional officer. Not adhering to the rules would result in a loss of the visiting privileges as well as other entitlements.

During Alcatraz’s operating years, there were many civilians that resided on the island, including women and children, families of the correctional officers and the Warden, employed at Alcatraz. You can walk through the rooms that served as work areas for these employees and see some of the primary living areas that housed them and their families. These families enjoyed their own bowling alley, soda fountain shop and convenience store, though most conducted their larger shopping trips on the mainland, employing the use of the prison boat which made twelve scheduled runs to the Van Ness Street Pier each day.

Due to rising costs and a deteriorating facility, however, the decision was made to shut down the prison in 1963. Prisoners were transferred to other facilities throughout the United States and all civilians were required to vacate the premises.

In 1969, eighty-nine American Indians decided to venture out to the island to make Alcatraz their home during a nineteen month occupation and protest. The group, Indians of All Tribes, wanted all retired, abandoned or out-of-use federal land returned to the Native People, who once occupied it, and felt that Alcatraz met this definition. Though the occupation ended with no resolution, you can still see traces of their time here.

Stepping out of the rear of the prison into the bright sunshine, made me realize how confining prison life could be, even for those who worked there. The beautiful views, however, would make anyone realize that life here on Alcatraz had to be better than life in any other penitentiary system in the United States.

Catching our boat back to the mainland, we pulled away from the dock, heading out into the bay. Looking back at Alcatraz in the distance, I reflected on the stories of the attempted escapes. Though it was a beautiful, sunny day, it was quite cool on the water. Anyone thinking they could make their way in these chilly waters must have been quite desperate, yet thought that it could be done. Of the attempted escapes, there were five missing and presumed drowned.

Presumed drowned. Yes, possible.

But, perhaps they are still out there, enjoying freedom yet keeping their stories of their time in the historic Alcatraz close to the vest.

No one knows for sure.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Alcatraz Island

https://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm
https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/
Address: San Francisco, CA 94133
Hours: Varies according to tour selected
Admission: Early Bird Tour and Day Tour, $39.90 , Adult and Junior (12-17 years) $39.90, Child (ages 5-11), $24.40, Senior (62 years+), $37.65, Night Tour, Adults and Junior (12-17 years), $47.30, Child (ages 5-11), $28.00, Senior (62 years+), $44.00, Behind the Scenes Tour, Ages 13 and up only, Adult, $92.30, Junior (12-17 years) $88.25, Senior (62 years+), $86.00, Alcatraz and Angel Island Tour, Adult and Junior (12-17 years) $78.65,
Child (ages 5-11), $52.40, Senior (62 years+), $76.40