Priest Hole ? In France ?

[horseshoes]

Some friends of ours have a house in a small village in the South of France. They recently had some work done and she told me that a "priest hole" had been uncovered. Would it be a priest hole in a catholic country? Is it more likely to be somewhere made to hid a resistance fighter. I didn't put this in History as it only has sections for Geneaology or Myths and Legends.

[Teddy_boy]

England was a catholic country too.

[jackthehat]

I think it would depend upon where in France and the age of the property.

Most English Priest Holes were to hide Catholic Priests in a 'Protestant' country. The reverse may be true in France...(Hugenots, etc).

[horseshoes]

Of course JTH I forgot about the Hugenots. Teddy, not when the Catholic priests were hidden, but yes I know it was once.

[horseshoes]

..... they're going to ask there too so it will be interesting to know.

[jno]

England wasn't Catholic when priest holes were built as priests didn't need to hide. I can't see why French priests would have either, though maybe someone knows of a reason. Something more recent for resistance fighters or Jews to hide in does sound more likely.

[Teddy_boy]

I did say WAS.

[Teddy_boy]

"Priest hole" is the term given to hiding places for priests built into many of the principal Catholic houses of England during the period when Catholics were persecuted by law in England, from the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in 1558.

[MarkRae]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priest_hole

[Teddy_boy]

Snap.

[jackthehat]

But it has been pointed out that this is in France and as such any reference to the religious upheavals in England do not figure.

[jno]

horseshoes clearly knows all this already; she's asking about France...

[Mosaic]

It all depends on where th property is and when the space seems to have been created. Sometimes a corner of a chamber was a primitive en-suite toilet...I've seen these explained as 'priest-holes'. It might be a Cathar hiding place, it might be a hideaway for valuables, or it might be a quirk of how the building developed over time. Have to look at it to tell more.

[Teddy_boy]

Irrespective of country, they were used to hide priests. Werent they?

[Teddy_boy]

Could just be a very small room?

[jackthehat]

Which is why they are called Priest Holes.....

However, they would hide Priests of a denomination other than that of the established 'religion' of a particular country.

And as France was a Catholic country, there wouldn't be much call for hiding Catholic Priests. Would there?

[mccfluff]

for a very small person

[jno]

so okay, we've got them as loos for very small Huguenot priests?

[mccfluff]

with teeney tiny loo rolls

[Teddy_boy]

Priests are actually very good at playing hide n seek. Pope Benedict is a former world champion. And not a lot of people know that.

[Teddy_boy]

Osama bin laden was world champion from 2001 to 2011.