The Château d'If is a fortress located on the island of the same name in the Frioul archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. Famous thanks to the work of the great Dumas, this fortification belongs to the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône. It is located just a mile from Marseille and is clearly visible from the city promenade called the Corniche. Looking at the white castle, bathed in sunlight and washed by azure waters, it is hard to believe that in the past it served as a prison.

In the Middle Ages, the small limestone island of If was a refuge for pirates and robbers. But in 1516, Francis I decided to build a fortress on it to protect Marseille from invaders. Construction lasted from 1524 to 1531.

The new castle had an intimidating appearance, but according to military engineers, it was absolutely unsuitable for defense for several reasons. First, its walls were hastily built from very fragile stone. Second, the design itself was not very successful — the building was small in capacity and did not allow for repelling attacks from all sides.

The fortress’s stability and functionality were never tested in practice, as throughout its history it was never attacked. Although there is a legend that Charles V, upon seeing it, decided against storming Marseille. So the Château d'If did possess some defensive power. The foundation of the three-story fort, with a total area of 30,000 square meters, is a rock. The structure is square-shaped, 28 meters wide. At three of its corners are round towers with embrasures: Moguver, Saint Christopher, and Saint Jaume.

The bastions are connected by a wide terrace, under which lies an internal two-level courtyard-well. On the lower level, carved into the rock, are cells and a kitchen, and on the upper level — casemates. In the center of the courtyard is an old well with an oak roller, chain, and bucket.

To the right of the castle exit are the "Vauban barracks" — a guardroom where the garrison of soldiers stayed for a long time. The fortress grounds also include a church and a lighthouse.

Since 1580, the Château d'If became an official state prison and gradually gained a reputation as the most terrifying place of detention in the Old World. The people of Marseille nicknamed it the "annoying neighbor": they did not like having such an institution near the city.

It was practically impossible to escape from the fortress. The cells carved into the rock, powerful bars, sharp stones around the perimeter of the building, and strong currents in the coastal waters — all deprived prisoners of any hope of gaining freedom.

It is worth noting that under harsh conditions, only poor people and dangerous criminals were held in the Château d'If. They were placed in the "pit" — lower cells without windows, ventilation, or sources of light. After death, the bodies of prisoners were wrapped in cloth and thrown into the sea.

Wealthy prisoners, for a certain fee, were provided with more comfortable "apartments" in the upper part of the fortress. From their windows, they could see the sea and the sun. Moreover, affluent inmates were allowed to walk on the terrace of the main tower.

The Château d'If functioned as a prison until 1830. According to historical sources, over 250 years, no fewer than 3,500 prisoners passed through its walls, most of whom ended their days there. Among them were many Protestants, considered in the 16th century almost the main enemies of the state. The prison also held politicians who were inconvenient to the royal family, bandits, murderers, and so on.

The Château d'If was the place of imprisonment for many nobles and historical figures. The very first prisoner of the dreadful prison is considered to be Chevalier Anselm, accused of conspiracy against the king. He did not spend much time in the cell. Documents indicate that the nobleman committed suicide.

At one time, Honoré de Mirabeau — one of the best orators in French history and a revolutionary figure — languished in the fortress’s dungeons. He spent six months in prison. It is known that Mirabeau was held in a luxurious cell and even held receptions.

One of the Château d'If’s prisoners was the captain of the ship "Saint Anthony," Jean-Baptiste Château. On a voyage from Lebanon to Marseille, he brought the plague to the city, which claimed many lives. This crime was committed unintentionally, but the captain was still sentenced to imprisonment.

The gloomy fortress also housed the coffin of General Kléber, the ideologist of the French Revolution, though after his death. His coffin remained in the underground vaults for almost 20 years.

The last prisoner of the Château d'If was Gaston Crémieux, leader of the Paris Commune. He was brought to the cell in 1871, after the official closure of the prison. He was executed there.

French historian Alain Decaux ironically noted that the Château d'If gained incredible popularity thanks to two prisoners: Edmond Dantès, invented by Alexandre Dumas, and the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask — a prisoner who really existed but was never held in the described prison. One way or another, today the managers of the museum complex on the island of If make full use of the castle’s literary fame.

Tourists visiting the fortress are shown the cell on the first floor where the main character of the novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" supposedly stayed — a man with incredible willpower, unjustly convicted and able to take revenge on his offenders. This dungeon is connected by a passage to another room mentioned in the book — the cell of Abbot Faria, who was a friend and mentor to Dantès. It is worth noting that the priest was a real person with an interesting fate, but he was never imprisoned in the Château d'If. The fortress houses an exhibition of materials related to Dumas’s work and the name Monte Cristo, as well as various film adaptations of the novel.

One of the casemates on the second floor is presented as the dungeon of the Man in the Iron Mask. Who this historical figure was remains unclear. It is known that he was held in various prisons during the reign of Louis XIV, and he always wore a mask, though not metal but velvet. The most popular theory is that the mysterious prisoner was the twin brother of the French king. This hypothesis is described in Dumas’s novel "The Vicomte of Bragelonne."

Since 1890, the Château d'If has been open to tourists. After World War II, the upper part of the structure, which had been shelled, was restored, while the "pit" retained its original appearance.

Sources:

http://www.prisonhistory.net/famous-prisons/chateau-dif-prison/

https://wikiway.com/france/marsel/zamok-if/