Streaks Of Blood In Discharge

Prison in the castle of the Dukes of Trémoille Thouars

Thouars is a French commune located in the department Deux-Sevres and region of Poitou-Charentes. Formerly called Thouars-sur-le-Thouet.

From its rich past, the town retains many buildings and monuments, many of which are listed historical monuments or graded.

Castle of the Dukes of Trémoille became a prison for a time, gathering including many Communists (the Common 1871).

Overview Block

With a frontage of more 110 m long, preceded by a courtyard surrounded by an arcaded gallery of 70 m side, the castle of Thouars is one of the largest in France in the first half of the seventeenth century. Terraced gardens to the south led to an orangery flanked by two stairways, she would have been the model for that of Versailles. Later in 1707, Robert de Cotte, a pupil of Jules Hardouin Mansart, architect of Louis XIV, conceived the plan magnificent stables then partially met.

Castle, scene of brilliant entertainments, housing a sumptuous furnishings, is somewhat neglected when Louis XIV's court draws all men of the kingdom. The Trémoïlle The resident then most often in their Paris mansion (destroyed in the nineteenth century).

During the Revolution, the castle was plundered and becomes a national asset. The state installed there in 1797, the headquarters of the sub-prefecture and the trial court. In 1803 he was offered by Napoleon to General Vaubois senator and in 1809 he was elevated to a principality and offered Essling Massena Duc de Rivoli, always by Napoleon. Vaubois Massena and refuse the offer because of costs of maintenance and restoration too heavy.

In 1833, the state sells the castle to 25.000F the town of Thouars. It's a long process of deterioration continues, it is used as a barracks until 1849. He is then entrusted to priests who set up the St. Louis College, private college until 1869. The family then moved to The Trémoïlle buy the building but the council refused.

It is a prison from 1872 to 1925. This institution 4-500 welcomes prisoners supervised by 150 guards. During the 1914-1918 war, prisoners of detention centers near the front are moved to the west. Prison for 4 years Thouars hosts nearly 1,200 prisoners. He returns to school in 1933 and is currently college. It is since 1979 the college name Marie de la Tour d'Auvergne.

In June 1940, workshops Ruy Charles, folded in the Paris region have moved into those from prison within the walls of the orangery. At the Liberation, the Company uses these same workshops DOP until the late 1960.