MARSEILLE
Marseille is a city full of art and culture and has many wonders to share with you. With its twenty six centuries of history, it combines tradition and modernity. The city is deeply marked by its past and is constantly digging up the remains of all the cities that have been built on top of each other over the centuries. It takes the visitor on a journey that begins with its Greek and Roman origins and leads us past the medieval religious foundations, the XVIth century fortifications, the rich homes of the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries and the many prestigious buildings erected in the XIXth century and right up to modern times and the great architectural achievements of the XXIst century. The city has a wealth of monuments, places of interest and museums to visit. The sun is one of the attractions of its pleasant living environment. And the Mistral gives it the light that has inspired famous painters: Cézanne, Braque, Dufy, Derain, Marquet... who came to paint in the little port of l’Estaque.
Some examples of tourist sites:
- The Old Marseille
- The Old Port
- Notre Dame De La Garde
- The Cannebière
- The Velodrome Stadium
- The Cité radieuse – Le Corbusier
- The Vieille Charité
- The city Hall
- Saint Victor Abbey
- The New Major Cathedral
- The Estaque
- The Frioul Island
- The If Castle
Don’t miss:
- The Santon Museum
- The Faience Museum
- The Pharo Palace
- The Museum of Mediterranean Archeology
- The Museum of Marseille History
The Old Marseille
Discover some exquisite sites like the Maison Diamanté which is a perfect example of a provencal mannerism with its unusual façade decorated with raised diamond-shaped tips, the Pavillon Daviel which is the city courthouse, the Hotel de Cabre, the Hotel Dieu, the Accoules Church, the Preau des Accoules which use to be a school specialised in teaching oriental languages and the Place de Lenche.
The Old Port
Have a walk on the place which is according to the legend the result of a love story. Take the ferry boat, so cherished by the Provencal writer and film director Marcel Pagnol, which leaves from the quay of the city hall to the Place aux Huiles, a square located in the opposite site of the port. Don’t miss the Famous Saint Férréol church.
Notre Dame De La Garde
To protect Marseille from the armies of Charles the Fifth, led by the Constable of Bourbon, François the 1st has a fort built in 1524 on the top of the hill, which, together with the Château d'If, forms a maritime defence which serves as a foundation for the present basilica and find above the north porch the signature of the King l a salamander. But the Garde hill acquires all its meaning as a sacred as well as an urban symbol with the construction of the basilica in 1853. From then on, the silhouette of the building becomes inseparable from the image of Marseille. However, several churches have preceded its construction. The first one was in 1241; when a hermit, Master Pierre, received the authorization to build on this site which belonged to the Abbey of Saint Victor. From the 16th century onwards the church is gradually transformed into a centre of religious devotion of the sailors.
The Cannebière
The name comes from the Provencal "Canebe" and is a reminder of the rope-makers that lived in Marseille from the Middles Ages onwards. Through this big avenue, pay attention on its symbols which are the Turkish Café which represents the open relationship of Marseille with the other cultures, the Beauvau Street, the Opera House, the Hotel du Louvre, The Hotel de la Paix, les allées de Meilhan, the Saint Paul Church and the Monument aux Mobilisés which commemorates the soldiers of Marseille who fell in the 1870 war.
The Estaque
For art enthusiasts, Estaque is above all one of the key locations in the birth of modern painting. From Collioure to Menton, just to consider the Mediterranean coast, there are plenty of places that have attracted great painters. The name of L'Estaque is associated with impressionism, fauvism, cubism: these three periods that to a great extent determined the nature of painting in our time. Although Cézanne and Braque are the two major figures, we should not forget painters such as Derain, Dufy, Marquet, Friesz, Macke, Renoir, Guigou and Monticelli. Most of them painted dozens of canvasses at Estaque. An unusual destiny indeed for this village, which can firstly be explained by its situation: it offers an exceptional view point, where the panorama of the bay of Marseille is often very striking.
The Frioul Islands
The Frioul archipelago points to the coast the relief of its 4 islands: Pomègues, Ratonneau, If and Tiboulen. Calanques, beaches, sandy creeks, impressive cliffs, the light quality and the water transparency make the islands a spot of great beauty. Still a conservation area, it is an authentic encounter in the Mediterranean Sea. The microclimate generates original and rare floral species, adapted to the conditions of aridity that characterize the spot. Furthermore, the Mistral is the great actor of the islands. It sculpts, gnaws and arranges them. These islands are also the refuge of birds.
The If Castle
Until the 16th century, If was an uninhabited island and the occasional haven of fishermen. It is François the first who, during a visit to Marseille in 1516, assesses its strategic importance and gives the order to build a fortress on it. However, the monument changes its purpose and became a prison. Rebels, ruffians and refractory galley slaves stayed there for more or less long period. The Site inspired the author Alexandre Dumas who wrote the famous novel “The Count of Monte Cristo”