If Castle

A citadel to protect Marseille

The Mediterranean Sea has always been at the heart of Marseille’s history. Whilst it has contributed greatly to the city’s prosperity, it has also served as a route for invasion. In 1524, Marseille was besieged by the armies of the Holy Roman Empire. The city owed its survival solely to its ramparts and the expected arrival of French reinforcements.

Aware of the strategic importance of Marseille, then a thriving port opening onto the Mediterranean, Francis I decided to strengthen the city’s defences. He had a fortress built on a small island swept by the mistral, ideally situated at the entrance to the Lacydon cove, the former name of the Old Port. This position enabled the future Château d’If to fulfil three essential roles:

• to prevent an enemy fleet from invading Marseille by sea, as had happened in 1423 during the attack by Aragonese troops;
• to protect the royal arsenals and secure the entry and exit points for the galleys moored in the harbour;
• to assert the king’s authority over a city with a strong spirit of independence, which had been incorporated into the Kingdom of France at the end of the 15th century along with Provence.

In 1702, at the start of the 18th century, the fortifications were reinforced by Vauban. In particular, the military engineer had new low-lying coastal batteries and a barracks built. Even today, this remarkable military complex bears witness to the strategic importance of the Château d’If in the history of Marseille. It has been listed as a Historic Monument since 7 July 1926.

A state prison from which no one escapes

The Château d’If was entrusted with a new mission in the service of royal, then imperial and republican security. Its thick walls prevent unwanted visitors from entering, but also stop those held there from escaping! Surrounded by the sea, the Château d’If stands as an impregnable prison. Prisoners wishing to escape first had to break their chains, force open doors, scale the walls, then plunge into the treacherous sea, and manage to swim nearly 1.5 kilometres against the currents… All whilst evading the vigilance of the garrison!

Opponents of the regime were imprisoned there from 1480 to 1871. The Château d’If thus held Protestants during the Wars of Religion, and Republicans following the riots of 1848 and the coup d’état of 2 December 1851 led by the future Napoleon III.

A tour of the Château d’If’s keep bears witness to this history as a prison. During your walk through the heart of the building, you will be able to see engravings made by former prisoners.

Famous prisoners of the Château d’If

The Château d’If has housed several historical figures who played a part in the history of Marseille and France. Jean-Baptiste Chataud, the captain of the Grand-Saint-Antoine – the ship that brought the Great Plague of 1720 to Marseille – was imprisoned there for a time. The prison also held Louis Auguste Blanqui, the famous anarchist and author of the journal *Ni Dieu ni Maître*(*Neither God nor Master *), whose name continues to embody the values of this movement.

Fiction and legend have also found their way within the walls of the Château d’If. Edmond Dantès, the vengeful hero of the novel *The Count of Monte Cristo*, was imprisoned at the Château d’If in the pages of Alexandre Dumas’s novel. Tradition also has it that the Man in the Iron Mask – that unknown and mysterious prisoner whose identity and secrets could have shaken the throne of Louis XIV – was held there. One’s thoughts naturally turn to the 1998 film *The Man in the Iron Mask*, starring the famous Leonardo DiCaprio and Gérard Depardieu.

Where does history end? Where does legend begin? You can form your own opinion during your visit to the Château d’If!