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Chateau de Chillon, Switzerland
Chateau de Chillon
locality:-   Vevey
country:-   Switzerland
locality type:-   castle
SummaryText:-   The chateau is the location for the poem the Prisoner of Chillon, by the Lake Poet, Lord Byron.

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BTC45.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC34.jpg  Francois Bonivard, imprisoned here for 6 years.
(taken 28.6.2010)  
Francois Bonivard, Prior of St Victor, Geneva, was a partisan for his city against the Duke of Savoy. He was arrested in 1530 and imprisoned at Chillon until liberated by the bernese, 1536. Chained to a pillar, all he could hear of the outside world was the lapping of the waves and the reflection of the light off the lake, imprisoned below water level, he was terrified of being drowned.

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BTC36.jpg  The fifth pillar to which Bonivard was chained with the name:-
"BYRON" Not inscribed by Lord Byron?
(taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC37.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC35.jpg  Not the pillar.
(taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC38.jpg  An old print.
(taken 28.6.2010)  

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BTC39.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC40.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC41.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC42.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC43.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC44.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC33.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC46.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  

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BTC47.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
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BTC48.jpg (taken 28.6.2010)  
Along the lake shore is a Poet's Ramble, sculptures of poets and other personages, and a number of speaking benches. Press a button Germand, French or English, and you get a recording of an extract of poetry, or whatever.
We tried 5 seats, this was the only one still working; an extract of the Prisoner of Chillon.
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