The Mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask

Discover the simple, casual story of the Man in the Iron Mask—a political prisoner in France during Louis XIV’s time. Learn about his life, imprisonment, and the theories about his true identity.

The Man in the Iron Mask (born around 1658? – died November 19, 1703, in Paris) was a famous political prisoner during the reign of Louis XIV. 

Even though his legend says he wore an iron mask, there’s no proof of that. The mask was probably just made of black velvet, and the iron story came later.

The Mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask
The Mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask

A Life Behind Bars

He was first imprisoned at Pignerol (Pinerolo, Piedmont) sometime before 1681, and then moved to several other prisons. Finally, on September 18, 1698, he was sent to the Bastille in Paris. 

He died there on November 19, 1703, and was buried the next day in the Saint-Paul parish cemetery. 

His burial record listed him as “Marchioly” and his age as “about 45.” His multiple moves seem to match the jobs of the prison governor, Bénigne d’Auvergne de Saint-Mars, who made sure he was kept in strict custody.

Also Read: Jesse and Frank James: Notorious Outlaws of the American West


The Mystery of His Identity

Even before his death, people were confused about who he really was. Over the years, many ideas have been suggested:

  • 1711: Some thought he was an English nobleman.
  • 1745: Others believed he was Louis de Bourbon, comte de Vermandois—a son of Louis XIV and Louise de La Vallière.
  • 1738 to 1771: There was even a theory that he was an older brother of Louis XIV. Voltaire and later Alexandre Dumas, in his book The Man in the Iron Mask, helped popularize this idea.
  • 1883: Another idea was that he was the playwright Molière, locked up by the Jesuits as revenge for his play Tartuffe.

Out of these many theories, only two have any real chance of being true: he was either Ercole Matthioli or Eustache Dauger.


The Mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask
The Mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask

Two Leading Theories

Ercole Matthioli

Matthioli was a minister for Ferdinand Charles, the Duke of Mantua. He was in charge of secret talks for a treaty in 1678. The plan was for the duke to give up the stronghold of Casale to France in exchange for 100,000 écus. 

But as soon as the deal was signed, Matthioli told the secret to several foreign courts, ruining the agreement. Louis XIV was so angry that he had Matthioli kidnapped and locked up at Pinerolo in 1679. 

However, most historians agree that Matthioli died in April 1694 at the Îles Sainte-Marguerite, which makes it unlikely that he is the mysterious prisoner.

Eustache Dauger

The other likely candidate is Eustache Dauger. According to letters from Louis XIV’s minister Louvois, Dauger was a valet who was arrested near Dunkirk in July 1669 for unknown reasons. 

While in Pignerol, he served as a valet for another prisoner, Nicolas Fouquet. After Fouquet died in 1680, Dauger was kept under tight watch, along with another prisoner who had also worked for Fouquet. 

In 1681, Saint-Mars moved Dauger from Pignerol to Exilles, and then in 1687, he was moved to the Îles.

It’s believed that Louvois, who disliked Fouquet, wanted to keep these prisoners extra secure so they wouldn’t spill any secrets about Fouquet. This extra caution might explain why Dauger was treated so harshly and why a mask was used.


The Man in the Iron Mask remains one of history’s great mysteries. 

Although many ideas have been thrown around about who he really was, the strongest theories point to either Ercole Matthioli or Eustache Dauger. 

With little hard evidence, his true identity still fascinates and puzzles us today.

Also Read: The Zodiac Killer: America’s Most Infamous Unsolved Mystery

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