Château d’If

The Château d’If, built under the command of Francois I between 1527 and 1529 was originally destined to military purpose. Located on the archipelago of the Frioul in the Marseilles roads, the fortress however quickly became a prison and had this purpose for the 400 years it was used. The fort itself is a square of which the sides are 92 feet long and possesses 3 towers: the Saint Jaume tower, the Saint Christophe tower and the Maugovert tower. In addition to the cells located at the base of the building, where the life expectation was of 9 months, the more wealthy prisoners could get a better cell on the first floor. You can visit the cell of the most famous prisoners of the Castle, even fictitious: the cell of Edmond Dantès, hero of the Alexandre Dumas’ in the novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" or the book character of "the man in the iron mask". In addition to the historical and cultural nature, the site offers an unobstructed view guaranteed on Marseilles, its roads and the Frioul isles. Only a fifteen-minute boat ride away from Marseilles, you can visit the site anytime during the year especially during the summer period when there is the most tourists.