From the construction of the Castle in the late sixteenth century through to the first half of the nineteenth century, i.e. just over 200 years, many people must have been imprisoned in the jail. Some of them engraved a variety of symbols on the ashlars that form the door jambs.
There are 14 sets of symbols depicting the crosses of the Calvary, i.e. the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the thieves.
Noteworthy features are the ‘protective’ nature of the cross, reflecting the prisoners’ uncertain future, and also the complexity of the engravings, as personalized details have been added through circles, dots, heraldic coats of arms and compound crosses.
