IF CASTLE
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Legendary fortress of famous prisoners on the island of If, considered an exceptional Mediterranean site
Preserved in its environment and its architecture, known internationally thanks to the Count of Monte Cristo, the Château d'If is an exceptional site, built on a small island in the Frioul archipelago, near the islands of Ratonneau and Pomègues. It's hard to believe, but we are still in a district of Marseille. Classified as a historical monument since 1926, it is one of the pride of the city's heritage. King François I visited the islet in 1516 when he stopped in Saint-Maximin. He was attracted by a curiosity that all Provence was talking about at the time: the presence of a rhinoceros on the still virgin islet. The animal, offered by the king of Portugal to the pope, was then stopping off off Marseille. It was while going to see the animal that the King of France realized that the port of Marseille was not sufficiently defended in case of a sea attack. The yew castle project then took shape, indirectly thanks to a rhinoceros. Having become a prison over time, the citadel saw a few celebrities being locked up here. Captain Anselme, state conspirator in 1582; Mirabeau, from September 1774 to April 1775, who was imprisoned on the orders of his father. But it is indeed Alexandre Dumas and his Count of Monte Cristo who built the legend of the castle. A fictitious work that inhabits the thick walls of these cells and thrills visitors from all over the world. The view over Marseille is very beautiful from the walls. Note the presence of cells more posh than others because paying at the time.
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