When I visited the castle in Gorizia, Italy, the part that intrigued me most was the donjon. This cramped room is a grim little place with no window to the outside. It was used for several centuries and over the years bored prisoners decorated the walls and vaulted ceiling with drawings. Religious motifs, sailing ships, people, and a number of abstract shapes caught my attention.

The light was terrible, so apologies for the quality of the photographs. Nevertheless I found these images compelling and I was left wondering who made them and what became of them. Alas, the staff at the castle had no idea. They didn’t have any information on the paintings and didn’t know who to ask. Since I was heading to Slovenia the next day, I didn’t get to delve into the question further. If anyone can shed any light on these images, please share!

Sean McLachlan is a freelance travel and history writer. He is also the author of the historical fantasy novel A Fine Likeness, set in Civil War Missouri. His historical fantasy novella The Quintessence of Absence, was published by Black Gate. Find out more about him on his blog and Amazon author’s page.