FRANCE  |  Marseille & Aix en Provence, France Travel Guide
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The Château d’If

1 Quai des Belges, 13001
Marseille
Marseille & Aix en Provence
France
33 04 91 55 50 09

Type: Historical Interest
Addmission Fee: Euro 4.60
Hours: October 1 to April 30 from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm and closed Mondays and holidays. From May 1 to September 30, open every day from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm.

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Legends, fiction and fact mingle on this grim and evocative prison island just off Marseille. Edmond Dantès, Alexandre Dumas’ the Count of Monte Cristo, was a fictional character – but guides will point out the hole he dug in the castle walls to escape. Similarly, the Man in the Iron Mask, title character of another Dumas novel, did exist but was never imprisoned here – yet his “cell” is still being shown. Built as a fortress in 1531 by King Francis I, the dungeon served as a prison from the late 16th century up until the 1880s. With its castle keep and three squat towers, set on a rock in the Bay of Marseille, this is a dungeon in the truest sense. The voyage across to the island via GACM launch takes about 25 minutes. There is a bar-restaurant, Le Donjon, on the island.
Last updated January 7, 2008
Posted in   France  |  Marseille & Aix en Provence
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