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Château d'If

🇫🇷 France · 16th century

Château d'If in France
Photo: Rémih · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Château d'If (French pronunciation: [ʃɑto dif]; Occitan: Castèl d'If) is a fortress located on the Île d'If (Ilha d'If), the smallest island in the Frioul archipelago, situated about 1.5 kilometres (7⁄8 mile) off Marseille in southeastern France. Built in the 16th century, it later served as a prison until the end of the 19th century. The fortress was demilitarized and opened to the public in 1890. It is famous for being one of the settings of Alexandre Dumas's adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo. It is one of the most visited sites in the city of Marseille (nearly 100,000 visitors per year).

Text adapted from “Château d'If” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Château d'If ranks #86 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #11 of the 469 mapped in France. Founded 1527, it is older than 43% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 718 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 50,569 times in the last 60 days, more than 99% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Marseille, 5 km away. See how France compares in the castle statistics.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Château d'If?

Château d'If stands in France, at 43.27986°, 5.32514°.

When was Château d'If built?

The atlas dates its founding to 1527. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.

How famous is Château d'If?

In this atlas's fame ranking: #86 of 7,738 worldwide, and #11 in France. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.

What is the nearest castle to Château d'If?

Palais du Pharo, about 3 km away.

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