Description
Archaeology on land and underwater, cell occupied by the Man in the Iron Mask.
Visit of the State prisons and the cell of the Iron Mask, the Huguenot Memorial and the wall paintings by Jean Le Gac.
In the Roman cisterns and on the first floor: the underwater archaeological remains of two shipwrecks and presentation of fragments of land excavations on the island. Temporary exhibition space and terrace with a panoramic view of the Bay of Cannes and the Southern Alps.
The Musée du Masque de fer et du Fort Royal now offers a unique digital experience, allowing visitors to explore this historic site in a new way. This immersive experience, which is free and accessible to all, forms part of the project spearheaded by David Lisnard, who has made culture, heritage promotion and innovation municipal priorities.
Developed in partnership with the Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs (DRAC), Orange and the RENDR agency, this innovative tool transforms the museum into an immersive space and offers a new way of learning about prison life across different eras. This initiative forms part of the municipal programme to renovate and modernise Fort Royal, aimed at ensuring the long-term preservation of this exceptional heritage site. It represents a first step in this process and foreshadows the museum’s future exhibition design.
Take a virtual tour of the stories and legends of Fort Royal
As part of its ambitious cultural policy, Cannes City Council is launching an augmented reality tour of the Musée du Masque de Fer and Fort Royal. Free of charge, multilingual (French, English, Italian, German, Spanish) and accessible to those aged 11 and over in self-guided mode, this initiative forms part of a wider process of modernising public facilities, based on the use of digital technology for the public good.
Thanks to touchscreen tablets equipped with headphones, made available to the public, visitors can enjoy a virtual experience that allows them to discover Fort Royal from a completely new perspective. This innovative tool recreates the site as it was in different eras and brings to life features that have since disappeared, as well as figures who have left their mark on the site’s history: in the 17th century during the imprisonment of the Man in the Iron Mask; in the 18th century with the naval architect Claude de Jouffroy d’Abbans and Andrew MacDonagh, an Irish officer; and in the 19th century with the captives of Abd el-Kader’s Smala.
Visitors move through a faithful 360° reconstruction of the site, bringing them as close as possible to the events and the people involved. This experience allows the various elements to be placed in their context and offers a more intimate insight into the history of Fort Royal.
The digital tour highlights two key features of the site. Firstly, its unique prison architecture, designed in 1687 and remarkably well-preserved; and secondly, the stories and legends associated with the prisoners, which are rooted in over two centuries of history linked to France, Europe and the Mediterranean.
Ultimately, the exhibition will be structured around three complementary itineraries:
- the ‘Secret Mission: The Man in the Iron Mask’ itinerary, which features a 360° reconstruction of the Man in the Iron Mask’s prison in the year 1694 and plunges visitors into the heart of a plot, in the role of a special envoy of King Louis XIV;
- the ‘Tales of a Prison’ trail, which will be launched during European Heritage Days on 19 September, featuring a distinct narrative and visual approach;
- an interactive digital model of Fort Royal, based on a 3D model of the site, which will be unveiled on World Architecture Day on 5 October 2026 and will allow visitors to explore the site and discover its hidden treasures.
