Château d'If in Marseille, France
© Boris Stroujko/Shutterstoc
A prison fit for a count
Château d’If, off the coast of Marseille, France, was built beginning in 1524 as a fortress by King Francis I because of the tiny island’s steep cliffs and strategic location. While the 'château' never gained notoriety defending the ancient port (since it was never attacked), it did become famous as a prison. Surrounded by treacherous currents—like Alcatraz in San Francisco—it gained a reputation starting in the late 16th century as a dumping ground for powerful political and religious prisoners. As far as official records go, none of the prisoners condemned there ever escaped.
However, there is one famous tale of an escape from the château by one Edmond Dantes, the titular hero of the 1844 Alexander Dumas novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' And though he is a work of fiction, you can visit Edmond Dantes’ cell on the lower level of the prison. The nearly perfectly preserved castle is just a short ferry ride from the docks of the old port of Marseille.
Related Images
Boats massing for the Barcolana Regatta in the Gulf of Trieste, Italy
The shoreline of Cahuita National Park, in Costa Rica
Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square by the City Hall, Toronto
Boats resting between the Granville Bridge and the Burrard Bridge in False Creek, Vancouver
Salcombe Harbour on the south coast of Devon, England
Aerial view of central Oxford, England
Sailors begin their journey from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Michigan during the Race to Mackinac
Remains of Mulberry Harbour from the D-Day invasion, Arromanches les Bains, Normandy, France
Bing Today Images
