The Man with the iron mask was a prisoner of Louis XIV whose identity is not known. The man was imprisoned from 1669 until his death in 1703. The man was forced to wear a black cloth over his face most of the time; no one saw his face. The prisoner always had the same guardian. Most of the facts that are known are from correspondence, mostly of his guardian with his superiors. When he was first imprisoned, the identity of the man was given as Eustache Dauger. He is buried in the graveyard of the church Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis in Paris. His tombstone says his name was Marchiali. Other sources also give the names Marchioly, or Marchialy.
Man with the iron mask
Questions and Answers
Q: Who was the Man with the iron mask?
A: The Man with the iron mask was a prisoner of Louis XIV whose identity is not known.
Q: Why was the man forced to wear a black cloth over his face most of the time?
A: It is not known why the man was forced to wear a black cloth over his face most of the time, but no one saw his face.
Q: How long was the man imprisoned?
A: The man was imprisoned from 1669 until his death in 1703.
Q: What is known about the man's identity?
A: The identity of the man is not known, but when he was first imprisoned, it was given as Eustache Dauger. His tombstone says his name was Marchiali, and other sources also give the names Marchioly or Marchialy.
Q: Who was the prisoner's guardian?
A: The prisoner always had the same guardian, but most of the facts that are known about the Man with the iron mask are from correspondence between the guardian and his superiors.
Q: Where is the Man with the iron mask buried?
A: The Man with the iron mask is buried in the graveyard of the church Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis in Paris.
Q: What is known about the man's appearance?
A: No one saw the man's face because he was forced to wear a black cloth over it most of the time.