©David Marseillem.minderhoud Wikimediacommons

The statue of David in Marseille

A monumental statue with its back to the sea

Discover the history of the statue of David, a copy of Michelangelo’s David, located near the Prado beaches.

A replica of Michelangelo’s David

The original statue was sculpted by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504 from a single block of white Carrara marble. It measures 5.17 metres by 1.99 metres (excluding the pedestal) and features a naked man armed with a slingshot. Its realism and attention to detail have made this sculpture one of the most famous masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.

David is a very popular character from the Old Testament, the son of a shepherd who became king. He is best known for defeating the giant Goliath with his slingshot. The choice of this episode in David’s life is not insignificant: the statue was originally placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and symbolised the determination of the young Republic in the face of the appetites of foreign powers with more powerful armies.

David has been on display in Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia since 1873, but numerous reproductions have been made over the centuries, including the one you can admire in Marseille.

©Statue Of David Florencejarrod Zenjiro Wikimediacommons

From the Palais Longchamp to the Boulevard du Prado

The statue of David was originally intended for the Musée des Beaux-Arts in the Palais Longchamp, while the plaster model used to make it was deposited at the École des Beaux-Arts, now the Conservatoire de Musique.

But it was decided to place the statue in the public space. On 17 November 1951, the David imagined by Michelangelo and reproduced by Jules Cantini stood at the end of the Boulevard du Prado, just a few metres from the sea. This is where you can still admire it today.

The statue of David occupies a privileged position, at the heart of a vast project to transform this area to the south of Marseille into a veritable seaside resort. Just a stone’s throw from Parc Borély, the racecourse and the beaches laid out in 1977 by Mayor Gaston Defferre, this monumental work of art is a landmark for the people of Marseille.

Practical information

You can easily reach the statue of David by public transport:
Rond-Point-du-Prado metro station (Line 2), then bus lines 19, 19B or 83
Castellane metro station (lines 1 and 2), then bus line 19 or 19B.

A host of activities await you nearby, including beaches, a water sports centre, green spaces, restaurants and shops. The statue of David is around 500 metres from Parc Borély, famous for its vast gardens, tree-lined avenues, lake and château, which houses the Musée des arts décoratifs, de la faïence et de la mode de la Ville de Marseille.

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