Château d'If is a Renaissance fortress built between 1528 and 1531 on the Île d'If, the smallest island in the Frioul archipelago approximately 1.5 kilometers off the coast of Marseille. Constructed under François I with medieval-inspired architecture, the château features a central keep, three towers—including the prominent 22-meter-tall Tour Saint Christophe—high protective walls, a moat, and a drawbridge. Famous as the fictional prison setting in Alexandre Dumas's novel The Count of Monte Cristo, the fortress served as a state prison until the late 19th century before being demilitarized and opened to the public in 1890. It remains one of Marseille's most visited attractions, drawing nearly 100,000 visitors annually who arrive by ferry from the Old Port.
