How does a prince wind up in the town of Bourganeuf? In the 1480s, Osmanli Djem, the son of the conqueror of Constantinople, found himself in a peculiar predicament after losing a power struggle for the throne. He sought protection from the Hospitaliers de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem. They treated him with some deference, yet he remained a hostage in their care.
He was conducted through Nice and the Dauphiné to Bourganeuf, where he remained in captivity from 1486 to 1488. To house him, a specific tower was built, known today as the Tour Zizim. This sturdy piece of masonry consists of a ground floor, four stories, and a roof featuring machicolations. It was built more than 300 years after the main body of the castle was completed.
What was this place before it became a prison for fallen royalty? Since at least 1310, it served as a prieuré hospitalier. It hosted weary travelers and pilgrims and provided for the sick according to the vocation of the hospitaliers. It also served as the seat of the Langue d'Auvergne, one of the eight nations of the Hospitaliers. The bailiff of the Langue d'Auvergne held the rank of grand marshal, commanding a powerful army.
One can still see the medieval atmosphere today. The old convent buildings now serve as the town hall, and the castle also houses the cinema Le Régent. The prieuré hospitalier de Bourganeuf remains a Monument historique, though its days of guarding Ottoman royalty are long over.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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