Visit the Citadelle of Marseille: between memory, panorama and renewal

In bright summer sunshine, the warm stones of the Citadelle provide a striking contrast to the welcome shade that slips in between the ramparts. From the top of the bastion, the panorama is breathtaking: the harbour of Marseille as far as the eye can see, the sparkling bay, the port… As you make your way through this fortress, you feel a breath of history, almost tangible. You feel that this place has seen much more than just the sea breeze.

Published on 20 June 2025

A fortress to dominate… or to watch over?

Erected in record time between 1660 and 1664 on the orders of Louis XIV and designed by the Chevalier de Clerville (and not Vauban, as is commonly thought), the star-shaped fortification was intended to dominate the city, both to defend against attacks from the sea and to “keep an eye” on Marseille after it rebelled against him. At the time, it was a masterpiece of military architecture: the particular shape of this “bastioned” fort was designed to resist cannonballs and had a capacity of 2,000 soldiers, and even a drawbridge.

It was in turn a barracks, a prison for political detainees (Jean Giono spent twenty days there during the Occupation) or prisoners of war, and then a military site until 2010. At that time, the town became the owner of the building, entrusting its future to Acta Vista to continue its restoration. In 2021, the Citadelle de Marseille association signed a 40-year long lease. It will be responsible for restoring this 5-hectare jewel and creating a cultural, artistic and social centre.

A social project that brings new life

Visiting the Citadelle is like entering the heart of an exceptional reintegration project. Since 2003, Acta Vista and BAO Formation have been organising educational workcamps where people who are no longer in employment become “masons of ancient buildings”, perpetuating valuable skills.

The place is alive. You can see masons in training, concentrating on their job, repairing a facade using age-old skills. That, too, is the beauty of the place: this blend of centuries-old stonework and skills being reborn. Beneath our feet, the pebbles from the Durance tell a story, theold mill that was once a war memorial, the walls marked by time, let a muted emotion filter through.

You can sense this past at every turn, but it is also told by those who lived through it. The team on site is collecting memories: children of former prisoners, staff from the neighbouring Palais du Pharo, “ordinary” Marseillais… Everyone has their own story to tell about the Fort.

Did you know?

Did you know that the Citadelle was taken in one night by the people of Marseilles during the French Revolution? On the night of 29-30 April 1790, the inhabitants took Fort Saint-Nicolas, before the people began to demolish it. The demolition was halted on 30 May by the Assembly.

A place to (re)discover today

The Citadelle of Marseille is now open to you, from Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 10pm. The guided tour is an immersive experience, as you wander through the bastions, between light and shadow, discovering unsuspected passages. Some areas are also freely accessible, with a mobile app to guide your steps along a sound trail. And between two staircases, two perspectives, an unexpected viewpoint emerges – a window onto the sea, a glimpse of the roofs of the Old Port or the Château d’If.

For a more unusual way of discovering the fort, an escape game has been organised for children, as well as an exploration of the fort in the form of a wandering theatre that invites questions.

The venue also hosts a wide range of events, including concerts as part of the Marseille Jazz des 5 Continents festival, the European Heritage Days, Le Rosé Méditerranée Live, La Nuit blanche burlesque, dance evenings, etc.