C is for Constance – A dungeon for women
A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024
Constance means perseverance. The Tour de Constance in Aigues-Mortes in the south of France demanded a great deal of perseverance from the Huguenot women imprisoned there.
This unique tower was erected in 1242 by King Louis IX, on the site of a previous structure built by Charlemagne in about 790 AD. The tower is 32 m high, not counting the lighthouse turret. It has a diameter of 22 m and is surrounded by a moat. The walls are 6 m thick. The two main rooms are each 12 m in height and have only narrow slits to let in air and light.
The ground floor contained the guardroom, protected by a portcullis. In the center of the room, a circular opening gave access to the basements, which served as a pantry, ammunition reserve and dungeons. The first floor housed prisoners, who were sometimes allowed up through a narrow walkway built into the thickness of the wall, to get a breath of clean air on the terrace.
This tower is now an important Protestant memorial, commemorating the tragic fate of many Huguenot women in the 18th century. They were held there without trial in miserable conditions for refusing to deny their faith.
Marie Durand
One of these women has become famous as a heroine of conscientious resistance. In 1730, French authorities arrested nineteen-year-old Marie Durand, shaved her head, and imprisoned her without trial in that dungeon.
It may have been she who engraved the word ‘Resist’ on the edge of the well. Durand refused to abjure her faith and remained in the dungeon for thirty-eight years. She was finally released in 1768, aged fifty-seven, when public opinion turned against the oppression of Protestants and the Tour de Constance was closed. She died in her home eight years later.
Durand wrote many letters encouraging others to persevere, and is an example of steadfast faith in Christ under severe persecution. She is seen to exemplify the words of Jesus, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). Simonetta Carr has written a beautifully illustrated biography of Marie Durand as an inspiring example for Christian children and teens.
The book ‘Greet Suzon for me’ relates the threat to incarcerate women who refuse to abjure their Huguenot faith. It describes a family’s perilous escape from France to Jersey, and is due to be published in 2024.
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