The Prisoner of Chillon

Who was the prisoner of Chillon? One would think by the tone of Lord Byron's lyric poem that he was a heroic, romantic, chivalrous figure...perhaps that and then some. To give him even more of an historic appeal, he was a bit of a libertine.

Francois Bonivard.

His uncle was prior of a monastery outside of Geneva, and Bonivard received an early education from the monks. His later education in Italy was marked more by amusement. After the Duke of Savoy captured his family lands, he began a life of political activism and became a partisan of the Protestant Reformation.

These actions landed him in prison several times, once in the famed dungeon of Chillon, where he was immortalized by Byron.

He was also married four times, threw extravagant parties, and scandalized the neighbors.

Amid all this, he wrote a history of Geneva up to 1530.

Quite a figure to immortalize, after all.