The secret of Domme

Domme is a beautiful small bastide town in the Périgord Noir.  A small town of no more than a few hundred inhabitants during the high tourism season and fewer  than 100 inhabitants during the low season, it had a very eventful history especially during the Hundred Years' War.  This small town holds a sad secret, well hidden within the walls of one of its towers.  This small town held the jail that held 70 Templars captive.  

The Knight Templars were imprisoned from 1307 to 1318 during the trial against them. In the tours there remains hundreds of Templar graffiti that still bear witness to this time. 

The Templars used a code system involving series of geometric figures: the octagon represented the Grail, the triangle surmounted by a cross represented Golgatha, the square represented the Temple, and the circle represented the imprisonment.

The Templars used their nails and teeth that had fallen out due to diseases, to make these engravings.  

The Templars stayed in this dark cold tower until they all died from starvation, malnourishment and disease.  However the graffiti on the walls of their cell are proofs to their faith that never faultered!

Note:  visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the tower.  Pictures in this blog were taken by Bernard Dupuy and published in the book Domme et son pays.