Château d'If

Provence · France · Prison

In the island prison off Marseille, the spirit of the sorcerer Alberto del Campo is said to answer those who call at his death cell.

The fortress on the isle of If off Marseille was made world-famous by The Count of Monte Cristo, but its real history is grim enough: for four centuries prisoners were held here, and the poorest, kept in the ground-floor cells, rarely survived more than a few weeks. The walls still bear the names, crosses and ciphers the inmates carved. According to legend, one of the first men condemned to die in the castle's worst dungeon was the sorcerer Alberto del Campo, credited by popular belief with occult powers – and his wandering spirit is said to appear by his cell to those who invoke him in the proper manner. Guards and visitors have told of footsteps and voices in the empty corridors.

FAQ

Where is Château d'If located?

Château d'If is in Provence, France.

Image: Marian78ro / CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons