King Francis I of France, in the early part of the 16th century, recognized the strategic importance of the island of “If” for defending France’s Mediterranean coastline. In 1524, he commissioned the construction of a three story square (92 feet on each side) “Château,” with three watch towers and large gun battlements, on this smallest island in the Friol archipelago, 7/8 of a mile off the entrance to Marseilles’ Old Port. Its deterrent factor was so huge that it never had to engage in any battle ( Holy Roman Emporer Charles V had developed plans to attack Marseilles but he never followed through).
Later on, the fortress was transformed into a prison. Its isolated location and the dangerous off-shore currents made it an ideal prison site ( similar to San Francisco’s Alcatraz). Because so many political and religious prisoners were detained here, Chateau d’If became one of the most notorious and feared jails in France.
In the mid-19th century, the island gained international fame when Alexander Dumas used it as the setting for “The Count of Monte Christo.” The current chateau maintains a rough hewn dungeon as a tourist attraction in honor of Dumas’ fictional character, Edmond Dantes. While another novel “ The Man in the Iron Mask,” has some believe that Chateau d’If is the setting for its main character, there is little or no evidence to substantiate this belief.
During the time the chateau served as a prison, a very definite class system was in existence. The poor were housed in the bottom level cold and damp cells, often with twenty or more detainees in each. The wealthy, meanwhile, could purchase private cells higher up, with windows and a fireplace.
By the end of the 19th century, Chateau d’If ceased to function as a prison and was opened to the public (September of 1890) as a tourist attraction. In addition to Dumas’s novel, the Château has been featured in a number of fictional works, including “The French Connection” and Clive Cussler’s novel “Spartan Gold.”

Several ferries are scheduled each day (weather permitting) to transport visitors from Marseilles’ Old Port out to Chateau d’If.

The landing dock provides an indication of just how inhospitable the island seems.

Dungeons for the poor are located off this lower level courtyard. Cells here are dark, cold and damp.

An upper level balcony gives a good view of the central courtyard below.

Wealthier prisoners could purchase “more hospitable “ accommodations on the upper levels.

This dungeon is maintained by the chateau to honor Alexander Dumas’ fictional character, Edmond Dantes in “ The Count of Monte Christo..”

Wealthy prisoners could pay for a private cell on the upper floor with a window...

...and a fireplace.

So close, yet so far away! This view is from an upper level cell looking towards Marseilles.

While the fortress never experienced an actual battle, its strategic position served as a major deterrent to any attacks along France’s Mediterranean coastline.

Marseilles’ best known symbol and its most visited site, Notre-Dame de la Garde, is located on the highest point overlooking the city. Constructed over the foundation of an ancient fort (which enlarged a pre-existing Medieval chapel) , “Our Lady of the Guard” (the hill on which it is built was known as “La Garde”) Basilica took 21 years to complete - 1852 to 1873.
Back in 1214, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was constructed over the old Abbey of Saint Victor. Forty-two years later, it had become a monastery. At the beginning of the 15th century, it was replaced by a church dedicated to Saint Gabriel. During the 16th century’s “Italian War” (1536 to 1538), Francis I commissioned the building of a fort surrounding the church (along with an additional fort outside the harbor on the island of “If”) in order to resist a possible siege by Charles I’s forces. This is the only known example of a military fort sharing space with a sanctuary open to the public.
In 1790, the hill’s fort and sanctuary were invaded by anti-clerical revolutionaries, eventually resulting in the closing down of the church buildings. By 1793, it had been transformed into a prison to hold Louis Phillipe, the Duke of Orleans (and the King’s cousin), along with his two sons, his sister, and the Prince of Conti. After several weeks, they all were transferred to Fort Saint-Jean. On April 4, 1807, the church finally re-opened for worship, while the fort portion went unused.
A privately commissioned silver Madonna and Child - known as “The Black Madonna” - was given to the church in 1834 and quickly became one of the most popular items within the building. During April of 1851, expansion plans for the church resulted in there no longer being any room for military buildings. Construction of these plans began in September of 1853.
In 1892, a funicular was built to make it easier for visitors to get up the 276 foot tall hill. Fifteen years later, after having transported 20 million people) it was shut down because of the increased usage of private automobiles. During World War II, German blockhouses covered the top of the hill. Allied forces liberated Marseilles in August of 1944.
Today, the views of the harbor and of Marseilles from Notre-Dame de la Garde make it the top tourist attraction in the city. It is well worth a visit.
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The Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde can be seen from most of Marseilles because it sits atop the highest point in the city.

At least 800 years of history has been associated with this site - from the early 13th century when the first chapel was constructed on the foundations of an ancient fort.

This was one of the most elaborately decorated religious structures we’ve encountered during our travels. It was (and is) beautiful!

By the end of the 19th century, this funicular was built to make it easier for visitors to get to the top of this 276 foot tall hill. An estimated 20 million folks took this funicular before the popularity of privately owned automobiles made it redundant.

Of the several statues of the Madonna and Child throughout the Basilica, the 1834 silver one - known as the Black Madonna and Child- is the most popular.

Once you are standing on the top of the hill, the views are spectacular - here, looking into the outer harbor...

... and out over the city itself.

We had a great time!

France’s King Louis XIV, 1660, commissioned the building of Fort Saint-Jean at the entrance to Marseilles’ Old Port (along with Fort Saint-Nicholas on the opposite side of the port’s entrance). This location was the site of an earlier fortification occupied by the Military Order of the Knights Hospitalier of Saint-John. Unlike other fortifications constructed to defend the city against invading forces, these two forts were built in response to a local uprising against the province’s governor. Thus, its canons were pointed inwards towards the city, rather than outwards towards the sea.
In April of 1790, the fort was seized by a revolutionary mob which decapitated the garrison commander when he refused to surrender the fortress. Throughout the French Revolution, Firt Saint-Jean was used as a prison. Following the overthrow of noted statesman Maximilian de Robespierre (in 1794), 100 Jacobin ( an influential political club) prisoners held in the fort were massacred. Throughout the 19th century, and into the early 20th century, the fort was under the control of the French Army, which used it as a barracks.
Between 1830 and 1960, when the French Foreign Legion was based in North Africa, Fort Saint-Jean was used as a final stop-off point for recruit. It was also occupied during World War II by German Troops. During the liberation of Marseilles in 1944, an ammunition depot, inside the fort, exploded, destroying its historic battlements and several buildings. Repairs and reconstruction of the damage did not commence until 1967 and took four years to complete.
Today, Fort Saint-Jean is a top Marseilles tourist attraction, offering wonderful views of its Old Port.

Having guarded the entrance to Marseilles Old Port (both from internal strife and invading forces), Fort Saint-Jean now sees duty as a museum and top tourist attraction.

This view of the fort was taken from the opposite shore of the port.

An archival photo of Fort Saint-Jean with sailing ships nearby.

While this courtyard within the fort is currently set-up for visitors to relax in the sunshine, we can only speculate about its purpose when the fort was active.

We certainly enjoyed it.

This is an upper courtyard with the watch tower in the background.

Located in the lower courtyard of the fort (as viewed from an upper terrace) it’s chapel serviced the religious needs of its occupants.

Once known as “Officers’ Country”, the rooms off this corridor now house museum exhibits about the history of the fort.

We got spectacular views of Marseilles’ Old Port from Fort Saint- Jean.

Along the Mediterranean coast - at the mouth of the Rhône River - is the second largest metropolitan area in France (after Paris): Marseilles. This port city in Southern France was founded by the Greeks around 600 BC. They called it “Marsalia.” Populated initially by Greek settlers from Phocaea ( modern day Foca, Turkey), it eventually sided with the Roman Republic against Carthage during the Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC). Since its founding, Marseilles had developed as a crossroads of trade and immigration throughout the Mediterranean.
After it became a Roman city, Marseilles prospered and developed into an early center of Christianity in the western Roman Empire. During the fifth century, it was captured by the Visagoths ( one of the most important and powerful of the Germanic tribes at the time). Charles Martel, Prince of the Franks (another powerful Germanic tribe) and his forces sacked Marseilles in 739. Seven hundred years later(1423), Marseilles was again invaded and sacked, this time by the “Crown of Aragon” (a Kingdom of Spain).
The Great Plague of 1720 decimated the population of the city, taking 70 years to recover. During Wirld War II, German Forces occupied Marseilles from 1942 onwards. It was heavily damaged by Allied bombings until it was liberated in 1944.
In addition to being a top tourist destination (around 4.1 million visitors per year), Marseilles has been featured in many movies, including “Fanny,” “ Barrabas,” “The Count of Monte Christo,” “ The French Connection,” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.” Desiree Clary (former Queen of Sweden) and actor Louis Jourdan were among some of the many famous folks who were born in Marseilles.

Marseilles’ Old Port is the heart of the city. For centuries, this was the center for trade and immigration throughout the Mediterranean.

Even from the water, one can see the vitality of Marseille as it mixes the old (i.e the Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde high on the hill) with the new.

Forte Saint Jean ( constructed in 1660) still protects the harbor of Marseille.

Originally built in the 12th century, the Cathedral of Saint Mary Major was rebuilt in 1852 and serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Marseille.

Chateaux d’If, originally built as a fortress between 1524 and 1531, and later transformed into a prison, was the inspirational setting for Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Christo.”

Throughout our 5 1/2 years of traveling the world, we have found that exploring various churches, temples, synagogues, and mosques has provided us with unique perspectives about the communities we’re visiting, learning about these social units’ (communities) norms, values, customs, even their identities, which often are reflected in their religious institutions.
According to some sources, there are around 10,000 distinct religions in the world, although most fall within five dominant groups; Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and some form of folk religion.
Religion has been defined as “...a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and practices...” centered around a supreme being. However, there appears to be no real consensus for what actually constitutes a religion (or a system of faith).
Presented below is a sampling of the “churches” ( the name derived from the Greek “Ekklesia,” meaning assembly of people) in Lyon.

“EGLISE SAINT PAUL” - Located in “Old Lyon”, this church was originally built in the Gothic style during 549. Damaged in 732 when the Saracens attacked Lyon, it was later restored to include three surrounding cemeteries. It was damaged again during the French Revolution, after which it was transformed into a saltpeter store. By 1801, it had been transformed back into a parish church. Today, it includes sixteen small chapels along the aisles (the first one dating back to 1470).

Saint Paul’s Church in Lyon was originally constructed in 549. Damaged and then rebuilt a number of times over the centuries, it had been converted into a store following the French Revolution, before resuming its role as a parish church in 1801.

The mural behind the main altar depicts scenes from Saint Paul’s life.

The sculptured stone works and stain glass windows were some of the finest we’ve seen.

“GRAND SYNAGOGUE OF LYON” - Early in the 19th century, there was a relatively small Jewish population in Lyon. As the Jewish numbers began to increase, they established their first place of worship in 1849, in a rented hall. Ten years later, they established a new temple, again in a rented hall. Desiring a proper synagogue in which to worship, construction of the current building began in 1863 and opened a year later. Today, this structure is the oldest Jewish institution in Lyon.

The smaller building in the center of this photo is the Grand Synagogue of Lyon, which was opened in 1864.

While we are not as familiar with Jewish religious structures as we are of other denominations, this one certainly impressed us.

“SAINT NIZIER CHURCH” - This church’s name refers to “Nicetius,” the sixth century bishop of Lyon. The first religious building on this site was the Roman Temple of Attis (god of vegetation), whose worship was a cause for Christian persecution around 177. In the fifth century, Eucherius, the Bishop of Lyon at the time, built a basilica upon the ruins of the Roman temple.Originally called “The Church of the Holy Apostles,” in the 6th century it was renamed after Nicetius because of Miricles attributed to him. Damaged several times over the centuries, it was always rebuilt. Following the French Revolution, the building was converted into a flour warehouse, only to return to a church during the 19th century

Constructed in the fifth century over the ruins of a former Roman temple, the Church of Saint Nizier was damaged several times over the centuries but always rebuilt (the last time occurring during the 19th century).

Among its notable features are the elaborate stain glass windows.

“GREAT MOSQUE OF LYON” - As one of the newest religious structures in Lyon (opened in 1994), the Great Mosque is the sixth largest in all of France. Funded by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, it includes a school, library, and cultural facilities. It also includes an 82 foot tall minaret and an entrance covered by a glass pyramid supported by 230:columns.
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King Fahd of Saudi Arabia funded the construction of the Great Mosque of Lyon, Once construction was completed, this mosque became the sixth largest in France.

Hundreds of worshipers can easily fit into this main prayer room.

“EGLISE SAINT GEORGE”;- Originally constructed in 550, the Church of Saint George was destroyed by the Saracen invasion in 732. Seventy years later, it had been totally rebuilt. During the 14th century, the church came under the control of the Order of Malta (a lay religious order with military and chivalric underpinnings). In 1843, the church had been converted into a hay barn. Restoration efforts between 1845 and 1848 reconverted it back into a church.

Administered at one time by the Order of Malta, the Church of Saint George has been built and rebuilt several time since its original construction in 550. Between 1970 and 1989, the church was abandoned , following which it was assigned to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter.

In its own right , this church’s interior is quite elegant.

During World War II, Lyon, France was a Center for both the German Occupation Forces and the French Resistance. In order to memorialize what life was like in Lyon throughout this period, the “Center for the History of the Resistance and of the Deportations” was established in 1992, in a building that was symbolic on many levels.
Back in 1708, King Louis IV established health services for the French Army and Navy. By 1890, these services had progressed to the point that two French Military Health Schools were needed (one in Bordeaux and one in Lyon) in order to train health care workers for the armed services. In the Spring of 1942, after Germany had occupied France, the Gestapo (secret police) set up their headquarters in Lyon’s Military Health School. Allied air forces destroyed the building in May of 1944.
Following the War, most of Lyon was rebuilt, including the former Military Health School. Its reconstruction refurbished the Health School as a museum to depict life as it existed in Lyon during World War II, as well as to pay homage to those who had been deported to German Concentration Camps. In particular, the museum recounts the French Resistance Movement, which had been led by Jean Moulin. He had been instrumental in bringing several groups together in order to form a cohesive force against the Nazis.
​ While the subject matter in this museum is somber, we felt it was necessary to explore it so that what happened during this period in time is not forgotten. It is well worth a visit.

This building served as one of two French Military Health Schools (the other one is in Bordeaux) from 1890...

...until 1942...

...when the Gsermans occupied Lyon ...

... and turned it into the Gestapo (secret police) headquarters, run by Klaus Barbie (who was infamously known as the “Butcher of Lyon”).

Part of the museum’s exhibits depict life in Lyon during the war when everything was rationed.

Much of Lyon’s Jewish community was deported to Concentration Camps.

As a result several resistance groups sprung up to harass the German forces.

A French civil servant, Jean Moulin, began to bring these resistance groups together into a cohesive unit. He served as the first President of the National Council of the Resistance until his death in 1943 while a captive of the Gestapo.

The museum exhibits a portion of Moulin’s parachute that he used to return to France in 1942 after he had met with Charles De Gaulle in England.