Marseille History

With more than two and a half millennia of history, Marseille is one of the oldest and most historically important cities in Europe. A vibrant port since the times of the Phoenicians, the city has a long and complicated past featuring trading, war, migration and most recently, tourism. A city that has always been multicultural, Marseille has typified the best and worst of cosmopolitanism.

Ancient times

Though there is evidence of prehistoric habitation of the Marseille area, the town was put on the map by the Phoenicians, who established a trading post on the north side of the harbour in around 600 BC. The town prospered and came under the rule of the Greeks and then the Romans, who built massive fortifications. Marseille was the main port of trade between the Romans and Gaul, an arrangement that made the city one of the richest in the region. After the Roman civil war however, Marseille lost its independence and came under tighter control by the Roman Empire, who diverted much of the city’s wealth to Rome.

Medieval period

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Marseille was often besieged by ‘barbarian’ hordes; however, its status as one of the pre-eminent trading ports on the Mediterranean meant it could always rebound quickly from any attack and often benefited from its ‘neutral’ status by supplying both sides of any wider conflict. The fortifications were very solidly built and protected the town so well that parts of Marseille were only overrun infrequently during this turbulent time, and the heart of city was never captured.

During the Crusades, Marseille was again at the forefront of trade and provisioning, and the Crusaders responded by beefing up the city’s defences, making the port even more impenetrable than before. Still, the city’s area was very small and kept within the original Greek and Roman ramparts that covered the northern section of the harbour.

Marseille was believed to be the port where the Black Plague was introduced to Europe in the 14th century with horrific consequences, and the town was crippled from sickness again when the Great Plague hit in 1720. In 1660, King Louis XIV removed parts of the original town fortifications to allow the spreading out of the city, which soon thereafter encompasses parts of the south side of the harbour and spread inland.

After the Great Plague

Marseille recovered quickly from the Great Plague, as it had done from any catastrophic event throughout its history. Trade with the East resumed and was widened to incorporate routes to Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. Marseille became more prosperous than ever and again, it began attracting many immigrants from Africa and the French colonies as well as trading partners across the globe. The city embraced the French Revolution and later became known as the ‘town with no name’ after the fiercely independent citizens rejected the Convention.

Modern era

As with any important port on the Mediterranean coast in the 1940s, Marseille received a hammering during WWII. Panier, the oldest section of the town, received special attention and was reduced to rubble. After the war had ended, Marseille once again bounced back healthier than ever, supplying building materials necessary to repair a devastated Europe.

During the latter part of the 20th century however Marseille experienced a sharp downturn in its economy and the city became a fest bed of crime, particularly in the poorer, immigrant neighbourhoods. The conditions of the streets, housing and infrastructure became rundown, so much so that Marseille was very much one of the last places tourists wanted to visit. In recent years however, Marseille has been reborn, with new life and money being invested in the older districts. Marseille is gradually recovering its former glory, and with the ongoing renovations, clamp down on crime and improvements to facilities and amenities, the city has become one of France’s most popular destinations for holidaymakers.