Visiting Château d'If

Château d'If

The famous Château d'If which lies just west of Marseille. Built in 1529, this fortress turned prison, turned tourist attraction is known for its legends. The most famous of the legends is the story of the count of Monte Cristo. Alexandre Dumas's novel is about the young man, Edmond Dantès, who is falsely accused of treason and spend 14 years imprisoned in a cell on d'if. When he escapes he becomes the great Count of Monte Cristo and inflicts his revenge on the people who betrayed him all those years earlier.  

The front gate of the castle is the only entrance and it is surveilled by two large artillery towers. The gate also has a drawbridge which lies over what is now a dry ditch. This combined with the strong walls and its strategic position made it a great fortress and an almost inescapable prison.

Even though the story of Edmond Dantès isn’t real the horrible prison conditions described in the novel are. As was common in that time (The fort was used as a prison between 1580 and 1871) the richer and more high ranking prisoners could pay for private rooms and better living conditions, but the poorer prisoners lived in cramped cells under the castle with poor hygiene and with only small chances of survival.

The view from one of the better cells in the castle. Showing what is now an information office to the right, and barely visible to the left: a cafe serving food and drinks open from April to October. 

The cliffs Dantès was thrown from when he escaped (or it could have been). 

Château d'If is a place absolutely worth a visit if you are in Marseille. The boat trip out gives you a great view over the city, and even if you are not interested in Dumas's novel you can find the history and arquitecture of this fortress fascinating. The trip only takes about 25 minutes and the boat is easily accessible from the old port in Marseille.