The castle and the island of If
Around 600 B.C. Phocaean sailors established a new commercial settlement on the Provençal coast: Massalia. The founding germ of ** Marseille. **
Our story has little to do with that small colony, since it takes place many centuries later and extends for decades in one of the most elegant revenges in the history of literature: The Count of Monte Cristo.
The famous novel of Alexandre Dumas It begins with a beautiful panoramic view of the city. From the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, located at the highest point of the city, the lookout gave his signal as a ship approached the Old Port.
The port of Marseille with the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde on top
It was about the Pharaoh, in which the young Edmond Dantes returned to command him. , made captain after the death of Captain Leclerc. That promotion had aroused the ire of Danglars, who would end up being one of the architects of the betrayal that the young sailor would suffer.
It was February 24, 1815, barely a week before Napoleon fled his isolation on Elba and returned to Paris. During those years France was an example of Revolution, but also of Empire, Monarchy and Republic.
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde , today an interesting example of the Romanesque-Byzantine style, also changed from prison to chapel according to the winds that ran.
Whether or not you have had the pleasure of reading The Count of Monte Cristo, it is one of the essential visits from where we will also enjoy the best views of the city.
As the Pharaoh entered the waters of Marseilles, on the platform of the Saint John Fort, Citizens crowded waiting for their entry into the port.
In the 13th century, the Hospitaller Knights of the Maltese Order, which were previously known as knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, which gave name both to the site and to the neighborhood itself. For the visit, it is advisable to inform yourself in advance, as it is usually closed on Tuesdays.
Notre-Dame de la Garde watching over the city
In front of the fort of San Juan is the St nicolas, today more visible than his companion and one could say that one of the main protagonists of the city's skyline.
Before the construction of this citadel there was a tower from which the chain that opened and closed the gates of the port of Marseille was controlled. In 1423, Alfonso V of Aragon entered the city with his troops, thus challenging his enemy, Louis III Count of Anjou and Provence, in the struggle for control of the Kingdom of Sicily.
That was one of the most tragic moments experienced by the city. As a memory of that assault the Aragonese took the chain from the port. Today it is exposed in the Cathedral of Valencia.
Upon his return to Marseille, Edmond Dantes runs to visit his fiancée, Mercedes, a young Catalan woman who lived in what is known as villa of the catalans , where currently there is still a street and a beach with the same name.
Its origin dates back to XVII century when a group of Catalan fishermen settled there. According to Dumas, they asked the municipality to grant them that territory and it was. In a short time they had raised an entire neighborhood around their boats.
Saint Nicholas Fort
In the 19th century, after a complete remodeling of the neighborhood, the Catalans were expelled, but under the protection of Eugenia de Montijo they managed to settle in the Vallon des Auffes, an old and picturesque fishing port that is a must-see for the visitor.
In the reunion with her beloved, Edmond meets her cousin, Fernando, who was trying to woo her while he was away.
Envy corrodes him to such an extent that he becomes the other necessary conspirator who, together with Danglars and thanks to the action –or omission– of other collaborators, manage to lock the young Dantes in the Castle of If.
Vallon des Auffes
The island of If is the last –and most important– stop in our review of this classic of French literature. In the old Port you can buy the tickets that will lead us to the Frioul Archipelago, located just four kilometers from the Marseille coast.
Among these islands, If stands out, with its fortress built in the 16th century. There we can visit the place where Dantes was locked up for more than 14 years until he managed to escape, already become Count of Monte Cristo, start the slow cooker of revenge on him.
Views from the island of If