Château d'If

Château d'If is a medieval fortress on a small rocky island in the Frioul archipelago off Marseille in France. The square structure has three floors with thick stone walls and three defensive towers equipped with gun emplacements.

King Francis I ordered construction of the fortress between 1524 and 1531 to protect the harbor of Marseille from enemy naval attacks. The structure later served as a state prison, holding political and religious prisoners under harsh conditions.

Alexandre Dumas chose this fortress as the setting for his novel The Count of Monte Cristo, published in 1844 and featuring the fictional prisoner Edmond Dantès. Today visitors walk through the cells and corridors that inspired the famous story and made the site known around the world.

Boats leave regularly from the Old Port of Marseille and reach the island in about 20 minutes. Guided visits are available during summer months, and the site includes steep stairs and narrow passages inside the towers.

The fortress held prisoners in different types of cells, with wealthy inmates receiving furnished rooms that had windows and a fireplace, while others stayed in windowless chambers below ground. The most famous cell carries the name Edmond Dantès, even though this literary character never actually existed.

Location: Frioul Islands

Inception: 1527

Architectural style: medieval architecture

Address: Embarcadère Frioul If, 1 Quai de la Fraternité, 13001 Marseille, France

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 10:00-18:00

Phone: +33603062526

Website: https://chateau-if.fr/es

GPS coordinates: 43.27986,5.32514

Latest update: December 14, 2025 21:42