Mirabeau's owl nest in Joux castle

Young Honoré de Mirabeau arrived here one fine springtime’s day of 1775. Few days before, he was locked in castle of If, near Marseille.

And now, he was in Joux… His own dad sent him to jail! He hated his son so much...

Oh, but Mirabeau wasn’t unhappy, here! They allowed him to frequent the upper crust in Pontarlier, the neighbouring city. Here, he met the pretty Sophie, marquise de Monnier. She had just married an old chap, she was 16… What a waste, thought Honoré…

Soon all the city knew about their love affair. The governor of Joux decided to put Honoré back in jail, his “owl’s nest brightened up by few disabled persons”! But the two lovers ran away in Holland few days later…