Présentation

Thanks to Alexandre Dumas and his captivating story the Count of Monte-Cristo whose the Château d’If is a central setting in the novel, LE DÉFI DE MONTE-CRISTO is a unique event, with no comparison throughout the world. 

Coming in Marseille for LE DÉFI is an opportunity to visit this magical historic site, built off the coasts of Marseille at the request of Francis I between 1524 and 1531. There, you can discover or rediscover the fabulous story of the Count of Monte Cristo!

Located at the entrance of the Marseille roadstead, the Château d’If rises in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. A royal fortress during the sixteenth century, then a state prison from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, it is a mythical and world-famous location. 

Open to the public since 1880, it became classified as a historic monument in 1926. You will discover a place remarkably well maintained by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux and its administrator, Marie-Armelle Baduel. Over the years, this place has been enriched by several permanent exhibitions on the history of the Château d'If, its famous occupiers but also on the story of Edmond Dantès, the Count of Monte-Cristo.

You will also admire the superb Monte-Cristo Trophy, rewarding the winner of the first edition of LE DÉFI, offered in 1999 to the City of Marseille by the Portuguese consul at the time, Miguel Pires. It is an original and unique creation, as legendary as Monte-Cristo!