Conciergerie

The story

Built largely under Philippe IV le Bel, these rooms are rare survivors of civil Gothic architecture. The Salle des Gens d'Armes has keystones 8.5 metres up, capitals of intertwined foliage and four great fireplaces, while the kitchens date from around 1353 and served the king's household staff. The name comes from the concierge the king appointed to keep justice in the palace, who turned part of it into a prison. From the 15th century until the Revolution it was one of Paris's most important jails, and in 1793 the Revolutionary Tribunal sat in the former Grand'Chambre. A Restoration-era chapel marks the site of Marie-Antoinette's cell, and the small courtyard where women prisoners washed their clothes can still be seen. A Histopad tablet uses augmented reality to show the rooms as they once looked.