Saint-Charles district

Why this neighborhood name?

In the 18th century, Marseille had its holy man during the plague of 1720 in the person of its bishop, Monseigneur de Belsunce. Previously, in the 16th century, the Italian city of Milan was struck by the same disease, and it was its bishop, Monseigneur de Belsunce, who became its patron saint.It was his bishop, Saint-Charles Borrom&e acute;e, who distinguished himself by the sacrifices he made on behalf of his city, invaded by the same deadly disease. Two bishops, two centuries apart, fought hard against the plague. It was to pay tribute to the Milanese prelate that his name was given to the district around a railway station reached by a monumental staircase, inaugurated in 1927 by Gaston Doumergue, President of the Republic.

Saint-Charles and the Euroméditerranée project

The Saint-Charles district is undergoing a profound transformation and evolution. Since 1995, it has been an integral part of a vast urban development project aimed at revitalizing several areas of Marseille. Indeed, the City of Marseille and the French State have joined forces on an operation of national interest called “Euroméditerranée”. Formerly bisected by the A7 freeway, the district is now home to new housing,modern facilities such as a variety of schools, and a major asset: a new park located between the railway station and Porte d’Aix.

 Saint-Charles’ must-sees

Due to the presence of the gare Saint-Charles, the area is extremely well connected, offering you the opportunity to reach most of the other Marseille neighborhoods quite easily. If you want to explore the district, here are some notable places and monuments worth seeing. For a brief historical note, Marseille Saint-Charles station was built in 1896 by the famous architect Joseph-Antoine Bouvard. This huge station proudly overlooks the city of Marseille. Its U-shape comprises more than 16 tracks and is used by millions of people every year. It is one of the largest stations in France. Discover the monumental staircase of the Marseille Saint-Charles train station. It links the station to the boulevard d’Athènes. This 15.5 meters high staircase has 104 steps with seven landings. This huge staircase is part of the cultural wealth of this key district of Marseille. Not far from there is the l’espace Fernand Pouillon, the cultural space of the Service Commun de Documentation de l’Université de Provence. This university library has been classified as a 20th century heritage site by the Ministry of Culture and Communication. It bears the name of its architect.

Another notable building in the district is the: l’Hôtel Marigier. This magnificent  464 m² building has over 18 rooms. Built in 1920 by Charles Héraud, the house was once inhabited by the Maupetit family, a famous family of Marseille booksellers. The Saint-Charles district is a dynamic area with a municipal swimming pool, schools, shops of all kinds, sports halls, restaurants and cafés. Just a stone’s throw away, in the 4th arrondissement, on the border of the Saint-Charles district, you’ll find the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Marseille, as well as the Palais Longchamp and l’Observatoire de Marseille.

TOP 5 things to discover near the Saint-Charles district

1/ Admire the sculpted neo-Gothic façade of theHôtel Marigier, one of the city’s few Art Nouveau houses, converted in 2022 into a high-end shared apartment under the name “colonies / boudoir”.
2/ Make a foray into the adjoining Belle-de-Mai district and discover 3 cultural sites, accessible from rue Guibal, that are well worth a visit:

• Mucem conservation and resource center
• The municipal archives
• The Belle de Mai wasteland

3/ Visit the Palais Longchamp, home to museums, an observatory and a park
4/ Discover chef Erika Blu’s cuisine in a converted artist’s studio. Atelier Renata won the Fooding guide’s Best Table d’hôte award in 2024.
5/ Take advantage of the exceptional opening of the interior of the Pautrier railway rotunda, during the European Heritage Days.