Marseilles : a colored history
Like all mythical cities rocked by the Mediterranean, born of Marseilles is a legend, such as Rome, founded by Romus and Romulus brothers.
Marseilles was founded in 600 BC by Greek maritime expedition from Phocaea as a trading port. Protis, while exploring for a new trading outpost for Phocea, discovered the Mediterranean cove of the Lacydon, fed by a freshwater stream and protected by two rocky promontories. Protis was invited inland to a feast held by the chief of the local Ligurian tribe for suitors seeking the hand of his daughter Gyptis in marriage. At the end of the banquet, Gyptis presented the ceremonial full of wine to Protis, indicating her unequivocal choice. Following their marriage, they moved to the hill in the north of the Lacydon; and from this settlement grew Massilia.
Between Vth and VIIIth century, Marseilles was the site of war invasion…The city’s fortune decline more and more since it was sacked and pillaged, which stopped its growing.
At the beginning of the XIth century, Marseilles had a new grew up thanks to an important religious activity. The Abbey of St Victor is one of the oldest places of worship, with coming of the first priest.
Marseilles was united with Provence in 1481 and then incorporated in France the following year, but soon acquired a reputation of rebellion against the central government. Some 30 years after its incorporation, François Ist visited Marseilles, attract by its curiosity.
A century later more troubles happened: King Louis XIV himself had to descend upon Marseilles, at the head of his army, in order to squash a local uprising against the governor. As a consequence, the two fortresses of St Jean and St Nicholas were erected above the harbour and a large fleet and arsenal were established in the harbour itself.
In 1720 the last Great Plague of Marseilles, a form of Black Death, struck down 30000 to 35000 people in the city and surrounded province.
During the nineteenth century the city was the site of industrial innovations and a growth in manufacturing. A work campaign is launched with construction of Canebiere.
The rise of the French Empire stimulated the maritime trade and raised the prosperity of the city.
The economy of Marseilles was dominated by its role as a port of the French empire, linking Peruvian coast and Indian Ocean with metropolitan France.
Marseilles celebrated its trading and port through the colonial exhibitions, between 1906 and 1922.The monumental staircase at the railway station, glorifying French colonial conquests.
The golden age of Marseilles
From the 1950 onward, the city was used as an entrance port for immigrants to France. Many immigrants have stayed there and they gave to the city a vibrant French-African quarter with a large market.
About half the population was originated from elsewhere (Italian, Maghrebian, Turks…)
During World War II, Marseilles was bombed by the German and the Italian forces in 1940. The city was occupied and a large part of the city’s old quarter which was dynamited in a massive clearance project, with the aim to reduce opportunities of resistance members to hide and operate in the densely populated old buildings. After the war main part of the city was rebuilt during the 1950s.
After the oil crisis of 1973 and an economic downturn, Marseilles became a haven for criminal activity, and began to experience high levels of poverty. The city has worked to fight these problems, and through plans from the AT in Paris and funds from the European Union, the city has developed a modern and advanced economy based on high technology manufacturing, oil refining and service sector employment. Thanks all these events, Marseilles get the place of the 2nd European Port.
Today, Marseilles holds 18 communes of surrounding villages which are called: Marseilles Provence Metropolis.
