Le Château d'If in Marseille | bandatourism.blogspot.com

Many people have been familiar with the name of le Château d'If, but only few understand that this is actually a real place. Château d'If is widely known because this landmark was mentioned in Alexandre Dumas' classic novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. le Château d'If is the prison where the main protagonist, Edmond Dantes, spent 14 years of his life for a crime that he didn't commit.

Built in 1524 by King Francis I, Château d'If used to be functioned as a fortress before turned into a prison, It is located on the island of If, the smallest island in the Frioul Archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, about a mile offshore in the Bay of Marseille in southeastern France.

The isolated location and dangerous offshore currents of the Château d'If made it an ideal escape-proof prison. In The Count of Monte Cristo book that published in 1844, Edmond Dantes character managed to escape this prison by deceiving the guards. He replaced the dead body of Abbe Faria inside a shroud with himself. The guards later threw the shroud from the cliff into the ocean, where Dantes later swam to the nearest island. In reality, no one was ever reported of manage to flee from the prison.

Château d'If used as a dumping ground for political and religious detainees, which made it as one of the most feared and notorious jails in France. One of the notable prisoners that spent long stint in this joint is Abbe Faria, a Catholic monk that was arrested for unknown reason. Alexandre Dumas used Abbe Faria as an inspiration for one of his novel's character who has the same name.

The château's use as a prison ceased at the end of the 19th century. It was demilitarized and opened to the public on September 23, 1890. It can now be reached by boat from Marseille's old port. Its fame as the setting for Dumas' novel has made it a popular tourist destination. le Château d'If is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

by www.exoticvacationplaces.com