The Oil Drum

Yes, one of the things I noticed and really came to appreciate and love during my stay in France were the real working shutters on every window. These were designed to open and shut from the inside, thus providing both a degree of insulation & energy conservation and also a very effective degree of security. I suppose they could be designed (and some maybe were) so even the hinge pins were not accessible from the outside. That would not be enough to stop a rampaging mob (although even during Paris riots and revolutions, shuttered houses are usually left alone). It would be enough to deter all but the most determined intruder.