A History of Marseilles Harbour

Marseilles is a big city, the second one of France with more than 800 000 inhabitants. It has beautiful buildings such as Notre Dame de la Garde, Saint Jean Fort, Saint Nicolas Fort, the Old Charity, Saint Victor Abbey, the Corbière Fort, and the If castle.

Marseille is also known for its cuisine an dits famous « bouillabisse » (a fish soup). In Marseilles, you can find people a-of many different origins which makes it a cosmopolitan city.

Some places are pleasant : le « Panier » (an old part of the city), the Old Port, and the beaches. The weather is warm in Marseilles.

The city is changing with new projects such as Euroméditerranée which will turn it into the metropolis of the mediterranean basin.

Football is appreciated in Marseilles : there are many supporters of our team : OM (Olympique de Marseille).

written by  Anane

My presentation of Marseilles 

Hello ! my name is Alexandre, I am 18 years old and I study at Montgrand High School

I live in a beautiful city called Marseilles in the south east of France near the sea. In Marseilles, there is always a beautiful weather with a gorgeous sun and a little wind which makes everything better. In summer all the beaches are full of people who sunbath and the water is just perfect. Not everyone has the luck to live in Marseilles !.

It is a very old city founded in 600 BC. At that time it was a rich city. That’s why we can find lots of beautiful vestiges. It was called Massalia.

Today Marseilles is well known for its Old Port with its boats, « Our lady of the Guard » which was built in 1854 by the architect Henri Espérandieu : the statutes of the mother and her child look at the city and take care of it. We can see Our lady of the Guard from very far awway when we arrive in Marseilles.

In Marseilles there is also the food which is delicious with the famous « bouillabaisse » (fish soup). You are now prepared to come to Marseilles with the information you had to know.

Let’s add the old part of the city called « le Panier » and all the other places such as the Borely park, the Longchamp park, Kennedy corniche (a beautiful road on the seaside).

Marseilles will be the capital of culture in 2013 with new museums and a new economic center linked to its maritime activities.

Welcome to a cosmopolite and pleasant city !

written by Alexandre

Marseilles...  

After Paris, Marseilles is the second most populous and popular city of France with eight hundred and fifty one thousand four hundred and twenty inhabitants.

The city was founded by Greek sailors in 600 BC. Marseilles is located in the south east of France. It is edged by the mediterranean sea.

It now belongs to the Département des Bouches du Rhône. The city is divided into sixteen districts.

It is the largest harbour in France and lives from its commercial and industrial activities.

Marseilles has 2900 hours of sunshine per year and is seen as the city of the sun. That is why Marseilles attracts many tourists. Its football club is famous : l’olympique de Marseille.

In 2013, Marseilles will be the capital of culture. We can say it is a cosmopolitan city with many cultures : north african, african, indian, chinese, etc.

Moreover it is the oldest city of France.On one side it has many museums and old buildings, on the other side, it is a modern city which develops its harbour with the project of « Euroméditerranée ».

written by Mouna

A short presentation of Marseilles

Marseilles is the oldest city of France with 2600 years of history. The city is the mediterranean craddle of immigration and has developped a strong identity and a plural culture.

There have been prosperous periods and others of crisis but the city has always shown resilience. It has always stimulated the imagination of the rest of France.

Today the city is proud of its identity due to its unique history.

It was founded in 600 BC by Greek sailors from Minor Asia and first called Phocea, then Massalia.

Our richness comes from its location : it is the first french and mediterranean port and the fourth european harbour. Its has links with many countries and has the second consular representation in France with 70 consulates.

The city is divided in 3 zones with almost all the monuments in the very center of the old city. The southern part of the city is the richest with the stadium, the beaches and the creeks. The northern district is the poorest.

For the european project « Marseilles, capital of culture 2013 », Marseilles is trying to revitalize the northern part, by expanding the business districts with the « Euroméditerranée project » to suppress the economic inequalities and develop the harbour in order to give prosperity back to our city.

written by Laure

The visit of the old port

On Friday September the 23rd, we visited the two forts located at the entrance of the Old Port: Saint Nicolas Fort and Saint Jean Fort,.

The meeting place was the gate of the Pharo Palace at 20 to 9 a.m. with our teachers and a guide.

We started the visit with Saint Nicolas Fort. Our guide told us the fort’s history, the reasons why it was built : it was a protection of the city against the attacks of other nations. We climbed on the roof of the building where in the past there were observation places to watch the possible attacks.

We crossed the street to the second part of the fort which symbolized the power of the king of France. The king of France had many problems with the city of Marseilles and its frequent rebellions as well as the French Revolution later. The fort was also there to attack the city if necessary, not only to protect its commerce.

From the top of the fort we had a large view of the sea and the Old Port. We could see a castle on the sea, called « Château d’If ». The guide told us it was a prison at the time of Louis XIV. For the second part of the visit, we crossed the port with the « ferry boat » to go to the other side of the port. The second fort has been partly destroyed but it is been built anew.

The visit ended at 11.a.m.and we went back to our school which is situated near the Old Port.

I have liked the visit. I have found it very interesting.

written by Nourdine

First vision of Marseilles

Marseilles has always been a commercial city. To protect its trading harbour, fortresses were built : Saint Nicolas Fort and Saint Jean Fort.
The city often was in rebellion against the king’s power and in the seventeenth century, Louis XIV had a fort built to watch the city and Saint Nicolas’role was to have the king’s power respected. Louis XIV was furious against the city of Marseilles and its people who had not welcome him.
That is why the fort was built to attack the city and not to defend it. Marseilles was allied to the Turkish (Red Beard) against France and refused to obey the king of France.
Marseilles lost its name after destroying the city of Nice with the help of Muslims sailors from Algeria and Turkey. Marseilles became a city without a name.

The second fort, Saint John Fort, was partly built by the Knights of Malte in the XIIth century. Then it was restored by King René in the XVth century.

The third fortress is now a basilica : Our lady of the Guard « Notre Dame de la Garde ». In the 15th century François the Ist buit the fortress of Notre Dame de la Garde to defend the city. It is the highest fort of the city. It was built on a sanctuary. In the 19th century, the fortress became a church and a new sanctuary was built.

The fourth fortress : the If castle : « Château d’If ». It was built on an island in 1529 by King François the Ist for the city defense. It became a prison.All the places can now be visited by the tourists.

written by Samuel



A visit with the comenius project

On September the 23rd, a visit was organized by a team of teachers of my class at Montgrand High School. We met at the gate of the Pharo Palace at 8.45 a.m. Our guide met us there and led us to Saint Nicolas fort. He shared his knowledge of the history of the city with us.

Some of the most important points that we learned were that one of the Turkish pirates names « Red Beard » arrived in Marseilles in 1547. The seamen from Marseilles accompanied by the Turkish and Arabs attacked the city of Nice in 1543 what provoked the Pope’s anger. At that time, Marseilles became the largest center of trade for olive oil.

Marseilles became the only harbour for the trade of products from the East (oriental products) such as coffee and other goods due to its alliance with muslim countries (Turkey with Soliman the Magnificient) against christian countries.

Between 1525 and 1529, the If castle « Château d’If » was built as a prison for 400 years.

At the time of Louis XIV, the harbour of Marseilles was transformed from a commercial harbour into a defensive harbour for war.

From 1655 to 1660 Marseilles entered a period of rebellion. The King of France, Louis the XIVth forced the people to obedience. He built Saint Nicolas Fort and Saint Jean fort to protect the harbour from the foreighners as well as from the rebellious people of Marseilles ;

Some years later Robespierre took the power and eliminated his rivals. He then completed the building of the forts and destroyed the old walls. For one and a half year, Marseilles didn’t have a name.

Saint Jean fort was partially destroyed by the american bombings during world war II.

In conclusion we can say Marseilles has always been a dynamic city with rebellious people.

written by Yanis