Saint Louis founded this town, which was a safe haven for Huguenots until 1622
After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the old mediaeval towers in the town were used as prisons.
In 1707, the Tower of Constance was used for women who had been condemned to life imprisonment on religious charges. This tower symbolizes Protestant resistance – its heroine is Marie Durand, who was imprisoned at the age of 19 in 1730 until 1768. It is assumed that it was she who engraved the word ‘resist’ in the stone on the floor of her cell, but no-one is sure about this.
