If is the European Alcatraz from which no one has ever managed to escape

(Patria) - If is a former French island prison, which many still call the European Alcatraz today.

It is a tiny island spanning 0.03 square kilometres in a bay located 3.5 kilometres from the old port of Marseille, dominated by a three-storey fortress.

Chateau d'If was built at the beginning of the 16th century by the French King Francis I to protect the coast from invasion, but also to hide the new fleet of galleys from prying eyes.

Due to the fortifications of the island itself, as well as the merciless sea currents around it, If proved to be an ideal location for a prison.

From 1580 to 1871, some of the most dangerous criminals of the time served their sentences here, along with religious and political prisoners who opposed the current authorities.

Wealthy criminals could bribe guards to be assigned their own cell, lavish meals, and other privileges. The poor, however, died of hunger and disease in dungeons without daylight.

However, Chateau d'If became globally popular only after Alexander Dumas mentioned it in his famous novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" from 1844.

Although the protagonist Edmond Dantès successfully escapes from this prison after 14 years of captivity, in reality, not a single successful escape from Chateau d'If has been recorded.

The great popularity of the novel also contributed to the closure of the prison and the opening of the island to the public as early as 1890.

Since then, it has become a major tourist attraction visited by guests from all over the world. From Marseille, one can buy a ticket for a boat that goes directly to If, writes Punkufer.hr.