The district of ‘le Panier’

Cultural venues in the heart of the old town

While Marseille’s Old Town is colourful thanks to its surprising alleyways, its cultural sites make it even more breathtaking!

The Maison Diamantée

Built by wealthy patrons of Spanish and Italian origin, the Maison Diamantée was inhabited by some of Marseille’s most illustrious families. The Maison Diamantée is exceptional for the diamond-tipped bossed decoration on its façade and the decorations on its coffered staircase. Listed as a Historic Monument in 1925, it was saved from destruction in 1943.

The Daviel Pavilion

This was built in the mid-18th century by the Gérard brothers, architects from Marseilles, on the site of a former 16th-century courthouse. During the French Revolution, the guillotine was erected on its forecourt. The building is made of pink stone from the Couronne quarries. The building is currently occupied by the Town Hall.

The Hôtel de Cabre

This private mansion, built in 1535 on the orders of Louis Cabre, a merchant and consul, is one of the oldest houses in Marseille. It was spared during the destruction of the old quarters in 1943, but for town-planning reasons it was moved in one piece on jacks and turned through 90° to align it with the current streets. The facades have been listed as Historic Monuments since 1941.

The Vieille Charité

The Centre de la Vieille Charité is nestled in the heart of the Panier district! It’s a real invitation to relax and enjoy culture, with numerous permanent and temporary exhibitions taking place there all year round.

The Hôtel Dieu

The Hôpital du Saint-Esprit, founded in the 12th century, was enlarged over the centuries and merged with the Hôpital Saint-Jacques de Galice in the 16th century. It became Hôtel Dieu a century later. Its reconstruction was undertaken by a nephew of the famous architect Hardouin-Mansart, but his vast project was only partially completed, and it was under the Second Empire that the Hôtel Dieu adopted its current appearance. The staircases were designed by Joseph-Esprit Brun. The bronze bust of Jacques Daviel is a reminder that in 1745, he performed the first cataract operation at the Hôtel Dieu by extracting the crystalline lens. He was thus appointed oculist to King Louis XV. Since 2013, it has been a 5-star hotel.

The Church of Accoules

A small parish church dedicated to Notre-Dame des Accoules has stood here since the 11th century. The church was rebuilt in the 13th century, along with the bell tower of the Tour Sauveterre, which sounded the alarm and convened the Town Council. The whole complex was partially demolished in 1794 and the church was rebuilt on a central plan shortly before the July Monarchy.

The Place de Lenche

The Place de Lenche is located on the ancient Greek agora from which citizens could watch over the activities of the port. Originally, the square was enclosed on all four sides, and it was to the south that Saint-Cassien founded the convent of the nuns of Saint-Sauveur in the 5th century, facing the monastery of Saint-Victor on the other side of the port.
Beneath the square are the Saint-Sauveur cellars, which are thought to have been the cisterns of the Greek city in the 3rd century BC. Listed as a “Monument Historique” in 1840, they are considered to be an intact ancient monument but remain inaccessible. The name Lenche comes from a Corsican family, Lincio, who left their mark on the square in the 16th century by setting up a coral workshop, shops and a sumptuous town house.
The southern part of the square was demolished according to plans drawn up by the German authorities in the winter of 1943, and buildings were rebuilt below it in the 1950s.

Place des Moulins

The highest point in this atypical district, this square owes its name to the presence of some fifteen windmills in the 17th century.

Today, the remains of three of these windmills can still be seen, but unfortunately they are not visible as they are surrounded by houses. In 1850, the Moulins cistern was built under the square, 35 metres above sea level.

The reservoir has 160 Cassis stone pillars and a capacity of 12,000 m³. The architecture is reminiscent of the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul.