«Two-hundred Waldensians, with their pastors, suffered cruel captivity within these walls, because of their faith. 1686 – 1687»: These are the words of the plaque unveiled in 2002 and placed on the outside wall of the Mastio della Cittadella. It all began in January 1686: Vittorio Amedeo II signed an edict that ordered Waldensians in Piedmont to estrange their pastors, cease collective worship and it ordered catholic baptism of children. A very brief war ensued, with atrocious outcome: thousands were killed or forced to abjure while two-hundred people were imprisoned in the Mastio della Cittadella, including nine pastors and their families. After almost a year of agonizing captivity, the survivors were allowed to expatriate, but not the pastors and their relatives who were held for months more and then split up and sent to the fortresses in Nice, Verrua and Montmelian: the survivors regained their freedom as late as June, 1690.