# This island fortress inspired a famous literary prison escape (hidden cells reveal what Dumas never saw)
The fortress rising from azure waters looks deceptively serene today, but Château d’If harbors dark secrets within its weathered limestone walls. Just a short ferry ride from Marseille’s bustling Old Port, this island prison-fortress captured literary immortality through Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo,” yet its actual history proves equally fascinating. Few Mediterranean landmarks … Lire plus