Frioul Archipelago

The Frioul Archipelago, with Marseille in the background

The Frioul Archipelago (French: Archipel du Frioul or Îles du Frioul; Occitan: Arxipèla de Friòl) is a group of four islands located off the Mediterranean coast of France, approximately 4 kilometres (2 miles) from Marseille. They form part of the city's 7th arrondissement. The islands of the archipelago cover a total land area of approximately 200 hectares. According to the 2015 census, the population was 146 (in 2021, 28 hab. were listed for Pomègues Island).

It is best known for the Château d'If on If Island.

Island list

IslandLengthHeightNotes
Pomègues2.7 km (1.7 mi) long89 m (292 ft) highThe largest of the islands. The island consists of a port on the southeast side, named Port de Pomègues. Pytheas of Massalia noted the existence of a polar ice cap from this island.
Ratonneau2.5 km (1.6 mi) long89 m (292 ft) high
IfSite of the Château d'If, where main fictional character in Alexandre Dumas, père's The Count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned.
Tiboulen du Frioul or Îlot Tiboulen30 m (98 ft) highMeaning "In front of the city" in Provençal, after the Latin antipolitanus.

The islands of Pomègues and Ratonneau are connected by a mole, the Digue de Berry, built in 1822.

References

  1. ↑ H.O. Pub. 1917. pp. 106–107. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Shell, Marc (2014). Islandology: Geography, Rhetoric, Politics. Stanford University Press. p. 202. ISBN 9780804789264. Retrieved 2 November 2021.

43°16′30″N 5°18′0″E / 43.27500°N 5.30000°E / 43.27500; 5.30000