Château d'If

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Château d'If, Medieval fortress in Frioul Islands, France

The square fortress rises from a small rocky island, featuring three floors with thick stone walls and three defensive towers with gun positions.

King Francis I ordered the construction of Château d'If between 1524 and 1531 to protect Marseille's harbor from naval invasions.

Alexandre Dumas selected this fortress as the central location for his 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo, featuring the fictional prisoner Edmond Dantès.

Boats depart regularly from Marseille's Old Port to the fortress, with guided tours available from July through September each year.

The fortress contained different cell categories, where wealthy prisoners received furnished rooms while others stayed in windowless underground chambers.

Location: Frioul Islands

Inception: 1527

Architectural style: medieval architecture

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

GPS coordinates: 43.27986,5.32514

Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:36

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