The Iron Mask Tower

As you make your way uphill toward the highest point of Le Suquet, you’ll pass by a rather discreet but intriguing site. Built in the 12th century, this stone tower was originally designed as a lookout and defensive post for the citadel — a strategic vantage point in case of enemy attacks. But it’s the tower’s name and the legend behind it that give it a special place in local lore. Just above the main doorway, you’ll spot the face of a man carved in stone — a tribute to the mysterious figure known as the Man in the Iron Mask. Legend has it that this shadowy figure escaped from Sainte-Marguerite Island and found refuge within these very walls, spending the final years of his life here. Made famous by Voltaire and later Alexandre Dumas, the Man in the Iron Mask has been the subject of endless speculation — with over sixty possible identities attributed to him, and not a single trace of his true name or face. He remains, to this day, the man whose name no one knows, whose face no one has seen — a living mystery. An enduring legend that still captivates historians, novelists… and Hollywood screenwriters alike.