Ratonneau is one of the islands of the

Frioul archipelago The Frioul archipelago is a group of four islands located off the Mediterranean coast of France, approximately from Marseille. The islands of the archipelago cover a total land area of approximately 200 hectares. According to the 2015 cens ...

in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

, off the southern coast of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

near

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

. It is relatively long and thin, approximately 2.5 km long but at most 500 m wide and generally much narrower. It is connected to the nearby island of Pomègues, which runs roughly parallel, by a

mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America * Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...

constructed in 1822 to create a port area. The Ancient Roman fleet that besieged

in 49BC was moored by the island. Later, the island was used to

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

foreign sailors, particularly those with cases of cholera and Leprosy. The neoclassical hôpital Caroline was constructed at the eastern end of the island in 1828 to a design by Michel-Robert Penchaud, but partly destroyed in bombing raids in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. The centre of the island is occupied by a fort, with a smaller fort at its western tip. The smaller island of If lies to the south east. It is part of the

Calanques National Park Calanques National Park (French: ''Parc national des Calanques'') is a French national park located on the Mediterranean coast in Bouches-du-Rhône, Southern France. It was established in 2012 and extends over , of which is land, while the rema ...

. The island has several beaches. Today, the island is mostly visited by tourists, by ferries that connect the island to the Old Port of Marseille in the summer season. The island includes some tourist restaurants, some tourist shops, a fire station, and a town hall. Motor vehicles are banned.

References

External links

7th arrondissement of Marseille Frioul archipelago Geography of Marseille Islands of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Mediterranean islands Tourist attractions in Marseille {{BouchesRhône-geo-stub