Trolling around Marseilles reminds me of trips to San Fransisco, only sunnier and warmer. Though the similarities between the two cities are limited and undoubtedly overshadowed by countless differences, I felt a sense of deja vu for an afternoon as I floated around the city's bay, out to its former island prison and walked up one of its steep slopes. Oddly enough, even the familiar clanging of trolley bells echoed every now and then from somewhere.
The Chateau d'If was the first of two attractions that I wanted to see during my brief time in France's largest southern port city. Best known from Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo the castle sits about 3.5 kilometers from the harbor and was built in 1529.
As the first royal fortress of Marseilles, the If's initial roles were threefold: (1) Protect one of the kingdom's main trade ports from a Spanish or Turkish invasion, (2) Cover the exits and the anchorage of the city's new fleet of royal galleys and (3) watch over Marseilles, which was recently made a part of France in 1480.
There's not much on the island, and the fortress itself is quite plain. Consisting of three stories and a terraced roof, the chateau is also quite small. While it was used as a prison, its eight cells managed to hold more than 3,500 French Protestants over its lifetime, which ended before it's "American version" began in 1900.
If Chateau d'If is the older of the two prisons, than it shouldn't mind Alcatraz holding the more infamous prisoners. In fact, the names remembered within its walls today were those of political prisoners and a former general. No Al Capone or "Machine Gun" Kelly here. Further, the catalysts of Dumas' popular novel, Edmond Dante and Abbe Faria, never existed.
Those remembered today had less interesting reasons for being there. I know a little about the stories of two of them, and only one of them was alive when he was brought to d'If. The first was the corpse. On the second floor, there a cell remembering General Jean Baptiste Kleber, fought for Napolean in the French Revolution. In 1799, Kleber was in Cairo when Napoleon left Egypt and returned to France. Responsible for the country in the "Little Man's" absence, Kleber only remained there for a year before he was assassinated. When his remains were returned to France, Napoleon had them kept at d'If rather than have them returned to his native Strasbourg, where the emperor the tomb would become a tribute to French Republicanism.
The second prisoner of note was Honore Gabriel Riqueti, the Count of Mirabeau. He was a French revolutionary, writer, diplomat and politician whose family came to prominence in the Marseilles region. Imprisoned here from 1774 to 1775 after his violent disposition led him into a quarrel, the Count later played a large role in the French Revolution, where he encouraged his country to adapt a constitutional monarchy in the style of Great Britain's.
d'If's final famous guest worth mentioning in my book was the Pope's rhinoceros, who arrived to the tiny island before the fortress was constructed in 1515. Intended as a gift to Pope Leon X from the King of Portugal, the animal found temporary residence on the island as a storm forced its ship to anchor off the coast of the island. As it was the first rhinoceros on the European continent, the animal won quick favor with the locals until he continued his trip to Rome.
The Golden Gate Bridge is an easy western limit for most of the bay's sailboats...
...but there are no such bridges for Marseilles boats.
Lombard street is one of the most popular windy stretches of city road in America...
...but Marseilles' cars also have to park on steep inclines.
Alcatraz sits a couple kilometers from San Fransisco's coast and began as a military fortress around the time of the civil war. Later, it was used as a maximum-security prison before becoming a tourist attraction...
...and Marseilles' Chateau d'If followed a similar - but much older - path.
The Chateau d'If was the first of two attractions that I wanted to see during my brief time in France's largest southern port city. Best known from Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo the castle sits about 3.5 kilometers from the harbor and was built in 1529.
Alexandre Dumas wrote The Count of Monte Cristo in 1844-45.
As the first royal fortress of Marseilles, the If's initial roles were threefold: (1) Protect one of the kingdom's main trade ports from a Spanish or Turkish invasion, (2) Cover the exits and the anchorage of the city's new fleet of royal galleys and (3) watch over Marseilles, which was recently made a part of France in 1480.
The Chateau was even smaller than Alcatraz, which I thought was minute given its large impact on American culture.
The only entrance to the castle is protected by a drawbridge over a dry ditch. To the gate's flanks are two artillery towers. Between Alcatraz's dock and the prison, artillery positions also protected the fortress.
There's not much on the island, and the fortress itself is quite plain. Consisting of three stories and a terraced roof, the chateau is also quite small. While it was used as a prison, its eight cells managed to hold more than 3,500 French Protestants over its lifetime, which ended before it's "American version" began in 1900.
If Chateau d'If is the older of the two prisons, than it shouldn't mind Alcatraz holding the more infamous prisoners. In fact, the names remembered within its walls today were those of political prisoners and a former general. No Al Capone or "Machine Gun" Kelly here. Further, the catalysts of Dumas' popular novel, Edmond Dante and Abbe Faria, never existed.
On the far left, Al Capone's smug mugshot rests next to "Machine Gun" Kelly's.
Those remembered today had less interesting reasons for being there. I know a little about the stories of two of them, and only one of them was alive when he was brought to d'If. The first was the corpse. On the second floor, there a cell remembering General Jean Baptiste Kleber, fought for Napolean in the French Revolution. In 1799, Kleber was in Cairo when Napoleon left Egypt and returned to France. Responsible for the country in the "Little Man's" absence, Kleber only remained there for a year before he was assassinated. When his remains were returned to France, Napoleon had them kept at d'If rather than have them returned to his native Strasbourg, where the emperor the tomb would become a tribute to French Republicanism.
On the inside, the views were bleak. A typical cell door looked authentic enough, sporting lead hinges, pre-1900 bolts and well-worn timber...
...Remains of the original wooden hoist that raised and lowered the drawbridge...
...a typical cell.
The second prisoner of note was Honore Gabriel Riqueti, the Count of Mirabeau. He was a French revolutionary, writer, diplomat and politician whose family came to prominence in the Marseilles region. Imprisoned here from 1774 to 1775 after his violent disposition led him into a quarrel, the Count later played a large role in the French Revolution, where he encouraged his country to adapt a constitutional monarchy in the style of Great Britain's.
But on the outside, crystal clear waters surrounded the white-washed stone island...
...and the island looked upon Marseilles like Alcatraz spies San Fransisco.
d'If's final famous guest worth mentioning in my book was the Pope's rhinoceros, who arrived to the tiny island before the fortress was constructed in 1515. Intended as a gift to Pope Leon X from the King of Portugal, the animal found temporary residence on the island as a storm forced its ship to anchor off the coast of the island. As it was the first rhinoceros on the European continent, the animal won quick favor with the locals until he continued his trip to Rome.
d'If's first political prisoner?
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