Tour du Masque (Mask Tower), Cannes

The Man in the Iron Mask was a prisoner during King Louis XIV region. He was confined to various French prisons--including the infamous Bastille. The man wore a black velvet mask covering his face, and his identity has never been discovered.

It is unknown when the man was born. He was arrested around 1670 and died in 1703.

The Man in the Iron Mask escaped from Sainte-Marguerite Island and found sanctuary in this 12th century "Mask Tower" for the last years of his life. The story was made famous by writers Alexandre Dumas and Voltaire. In Voltaire's retelling, the man wore an iron mask. Historical records show that the man wore a velvet mask, but Voltaire's version has proved popular.

Historians have many guesses over the man's identity, but none of these theories have been definitively proven. Some stories claim that the man was a relative of the King--an older brother, a twin, or his illegitimate father.

Documents from the man's jailer, Saint-Mars, were discovered in 2015. A leading theory supposes that the man was Eustache Dauge, who was involved in political scandals.

One legend says that the unnamed man's host haunts the tower. Whether or not this is true, the legends and speculations concerning the man's identity continue.

Today, a plaque on the 12th-century tower and a nearby dummy mark the location. The plaque reads, "Passer-by, stop to meditate on the sufferings of this torture."