We went on a weekend trip with the family to Marseille, and although the sun was shining brightly, the city was still quite windy and cool in April. The famous Mistral wind chilled us thoroughly, but that didn’t stop us from exploring. We climbed to the highest point in the city, the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica – known to the locals as “La Bonne Mère” (the Good Mother) – and admired the breathtaking panorama of the endless sea from there. Then we took a long walk along the beach, where we watched in disbelief the surfers who were enjoying the sport even in the icy, choppy water.
The history of Marseille began more than 2,600 years ago, making it the oldest city in France. It was founded around 600 BC by Greek sailors from Phocaea in Asia Minor, under the name Massalia. According to legend, the daughter of the local Celto-Ligurian king, Gyptis, chose the Greek Protistus as her husband at a festive feast, and as a wedding gift they were given the bay where the Old Port (Vieux-Port) is now located. The city quickly became one of the most important commercial and cultural hubs in the Mediterranean.
During the Roman era, the city’s position was weakened after it sided with Pompey in the civil war against Caesar, who in revenge deprived Massalia of its independence and colonies. During the Middle Ages, Marseille went through difficult times. It was besieged by plague epidemics and various conquerors, but thanks to its port it always recovered. It was finally annexed by the Kingdom of France in 1481, although the people of Marseille had always been known for their rebellious spirit and desire for independence – hence the name of the French anthem, the Marseillaise, made famous by the volunteers who marched from the city to Paris during the Revolution.
The 19th century brought the city its second golden age. French colonization and the opening of the Suez Canal made Marseille the “Gateway to the East”. It was during this period that the city’s most iconic buildings were built, such as the monumental, Byzantine-Romanesque Cathédrale de la Major and the aforementioned Notre-Dame de la Garde. The port’s traffic swelled to a fever pitch, and Marseille also became the center for the production of the world-famous savon de Marseille (Marseille soap).
The Second World War dealt the city serious wounds. In 1943, the Nazi occupiers blew up a large part of the historic old town, the Le Panier district. After the war, the Cité Radieuse (Radiant City) residential building designed by Le Corbusier, a landmark of modern architecture, symbolized the rebirth. Today, this building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and revolutionized modern urban design with its public spaces and unique forms.
Today, Marseille is a vibrant, multicultural metropolis, which was the European Capital of Culture in 2013. The futuristic MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations) building on the seafront, which with its graceful lace walls represents the modern face of the city, preserves the memory. Marseille is still a divisive city, raw, noisy, but infinitely friendly and proud, where the fresh smell of the fish market and the football fanfare of the Stade Vélodrome stadium are as much a part of everyday life as the salty sea air.
