Fort Royal on Île Sainte-Marguerite

Fort Royal stands on the northern shore of Île Sainte-Marguerite, facing Cannes across a 1 km channel in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. The islands were taken by the Spanish in 1635, and the French retook them in 1637 after a naval operation; afterwards the fort was expanded and later strengthened by Vauban. In the late 17th century it became a state prison, and its most famous prisoner, the masked man later known as the Man in the Iron Mask, was held here from 1687 until he was transferred to the Bastille in 1698. His cell, along with the cells of Protestant prisoners held after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, can be visited. Inside the fortress, the Musée de la Mer displays finds from shipwrecks, Roman and Ligurian objects and exhibitions on the prison history. The ramparts give wide views over the sea and the Esterel. The fort is reached by ferry from Quai Laubeuf in about 15 minutes.