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Marseille

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

                             Ville de Marseille

   Flag of Marseille
                                 Coat of arms of Marseille
       City flag                        Coat of arms
   Motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis.
   "By her great deeds, Marseille shines in the world"
                                  Location

   Image:Paris_plan_pointer_b_jms.gif
   Map highlighting the commune of Marseille
   Coordinates      43°17′51″N, 5°22′38″E
   Time Zone        CET (GMT +1)
                               Administration
   Country          France
   Région           Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
   Département      Bouches-du-Rhône (13)
   Subdivisions     16 arrondissements
                    (in 8 secteurs)
   Intercommunality Urban Community of Marseille Provence Métropole
   Mayor            Jean-Claude Gaudin  ( UMP)
                    (since 1995)
                              City Statistics
   Land area¹       240.62 km²
   Population²      2nd in France
    - 2004 estimate 808,700
    - Density       3,361/km² (2004)
                                Urban Spread
   Urban Area       1,290 km² (1999)
    - Population    1,349,772 (1999)
   Metro Area       2,830.2 km² (1999)
    - Population    1,516,340 (1999)
                               Miscellaneous
   Postal code      13001-13016
   Dialling code    0491
   ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1
   km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
   ² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of
   multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).
                                  France

          "Marseilles" redirects here. There is also Marseilles, Illinois.
          "Massilia" redirects here. There is also a ship with this name;
          see The Vichy 80.

   Marseille, (English alt. Marseilles — French: pronounced /maʀsɛj/ or
   [mɑxˈsɛjɐ] locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha [maʀˈsejɔ, maʀˈsijɔ]
   in classical norm or Marsiho [maʀˈsijɔ] in Mistralian norm — Latin:
   Massilia) is the second largest city in France and the third
   metropolitan area, with 1,516,340 inhabitants at the 1999 census.
   Located in the former province of Provence and on the Mediterranean
   Sea, it is France's largest commercial port. It is considered the
   Provençale capital, one of the Occitan capitals of Occitania and
   France. Marseille is also the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
   région, as well as the préfecture (capital) of the Bouches-du-Rhône
   département.

Geography

   Marseille is the centre of a large metropolitan area. To the east are
   the villages of the Calanques and Cassis, further afield is the town of
   Toulon. To the north of Marseille are a range of small mountains and
   the 1011m Mont Saint Victoire. To the west of Marseille is the Camargue
   region and the Gulf of Lion. The city itself is spread across a wide
   geographical area divided into 15 arrondissements. The central four
   contain most of the city's historic buildings and its services.

   The city's main thoroughfare, the wide boulevard called La Canebière,
   stretches eastward from the Old Port (Vieux Port/Panier quarter). The
   tourist information centre operates at the Old Port end of the
   Canebière. Adjacent to La Canebière is the Old Port (where the marina
   and fish market are located.) At the entrance to the Old Port are two
   large forts - Fort St Nicholas on the south side and Fort St Jean on
   the other. The main commercial centre of the city intersects with the
   Canebière at Rue Paradis and the Centre Bourse (the main shopping
   mall). Pedestrianised squares radiate away from the Canebière and the
   old port such as Cours Julien and the Place de General De Gaulle, both
   of which have fountains.

   To the south east of central Marseille is the Prefecture and the
   roundabout Castellane (a bus and metro interchange) in the 7th
   arrondissement. To the south west are the hills of the 9th
   arrondissement, dominated by the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. The train
   station - Gare St Charles - is north of the Centre Bourse in the 3rd
   arrondissement. It is at the end of La Canebière and is near the square
   of Victor Hugo. The airport Marseille-en-Provence lies to the North
   West of the city at the Etang de Berre.

History

   Marseille was founded in 600 BC by Greeks from Phocaea as a trading
   port under the name Μασσαλία (Massalia; see also List of traditional
   Greek place names). Massalia was the first Greek port in Western Europe
   and grew to a population of over 1000 and the first settlement given
   city status in France. Facing an opposing alliance of the Etruscans,
   Carthage and the Celts, the Greek colony allied itself with the
   expanding Roman Republic for protection. The association with the
   expanding Roman market saw the city thrive by acting as a link between
   the interior of Gaul, hungry for Roman goods and wine (of which
   Massilia was steadily exporting by 500 B.C.) , and Rome's insatiable
   slave markets. Under this arrangement the city maintained its
   independence until the rise of Julius Caesar, when it joined the losing
   side (Pompey) in civil war, and lost its independence in 49 BC.

   It was the site of a siege and naval battle in which the fleet was
   confiscated by the Roman authorities During the Roman times the city
   was called Massilia. It was the home port of Pytheas. Most of the
   archaeological remnants of the original Greek settlement were replaced
   by later Roman additions.

   Marseille thrived as a Roman trading port. Evidence of its growth and
   wealth is the fact that it was the first town of France to have an
   official public sewer system. During the Roman era, the city was
   controlled by a directory of 15 selected “first” among 600 senators.
   Three of them had the preeminence and the essence of the executive
   power. The city's laws amongst other things forbade the drinking of
   wine by women and allowed by vote of the 600, assistance to allow a
   person to commit suicide.

   With the decline of the Roman empire the town reverted to the hands of
   the Gauls, eventually joining much of France under the rule of the
   Franks. Emperor Charlemagne and the Carolingian dynasty granted civic
   power to Marseille, which remained a major French trading port until
   the medieval period. The city regained much of its wealth and trading
   power when it was revived in the 10th century by the counts of
   Provence. In 1347 the city suffered terribly from the great plague -
   estimates say 50,000 of the city's 90,000 inhabitants were killed. As a
   major port, it is believed the settlement was one of the first and most
   dramatically affected French settlements by the plague. The city's
   fortunes declined further when it was sacked and pillaged by the
   Aragonese in 1423.

   Marseille soon revived its population and trading status in the
   Mediterranean and in 1437, the Count of Provence Rene of Anjou, who
   succeeded his father Louis II of Anjou, as King of Sicily and Duke of
   Anjou, arrived in Marseille and established it as France's most
   fortified settlement outside of Paris. He helped raise the status of
   the town to a city and allowed certain privileges to be granted to it.
   Marseille was then used by Duke of Anjou as a strategic maritime base
   to reconquer his kingdom of Sicily.

   King René, who wished to equip the entrance of the port with a solid
   defence, decided to build on the ruins of the old Maubert tower and to
   establish a series of ramparts guarding the harbour. Jean Pardo,
   engineer, conceived the plans and Jehan Robert, mason of Tarascon,
   carried out the work. The construction of the new city defences took
   place between 1447 and 1453. The trading in Marseille also flourished
   in this term as the Guild began to establish a position of power within
   the merchants of the city. Notably René also founded the Corporation of
   Fisherman.

   Marseille became a part of France in the 1480s but soon acquired a
   reputation for rebelling against the central government. The local
   population enthusiastically embraced the Revolution, and sent 500
   volunteers to defend Paris in 1792 who sung what is now France's
   national anthem La Marseillaise. During the eighteenth century the
   Ports defences were improved and Marseille became more important as
   France's leading military port in the Mediterranean. Jean-Baptiste
   Grosson, royal notary, who wrote from 1770 to 1791 the historical
   Almanac of Marseille published in 1773 a "Recueil des antiquités et des
   monuments marseillais qui peuvent intéresser l’histoire et les arts",
   (“Collection of antiquities and Marseilles monuments which can interest
   history and the arts”), which for a long time was the primary resource
   on the history of the monuments of the city.

   During the nineteenth century the city was the site of industrial
   innovations and manufacturing growth. The rise of the French Empire and
   the conquests of France since 1830 (especially Algeria) stimulated the
   maritime trade and raised the prosperity of the city. This can be still
   seen today in both the old port and the train station, where massive
   monuments record the conquest of North Africa and Indochina by the
   French, culminating in a massive arch. Maritime opportunities also
   increased with the opening of a vast canal in 1869.

   During the twentieth century Marseilles celebrated its trading status
   and 'port of the empire' status through the colonial exhibitions of
   1906 and 1922. In 1934 Alexander I of Yugoslavia arrived at the port to
   meet with the French foreign minister Louis Barthou. He was
   assassinated there by Vlada Georgieff. During World War II Marseille
   was bombed by the Germans and the Italians in 1940. The city was
   occupied by Germans and over one third of the old quarter of the city
   was destroyed in a massive clearance project, aimed to reduce
   opportunities for resistance members to hide and operate in the densely
   populated old buildings. After the war much of the city was rebuilt
   during the 1950s.

Modern

   During the late twentieth century, the city served as an entrance port
   for millions of immigrants in France, hundreds of thousands of whom
   came in 1962 from Algeria. Many immigrants stayed and have given the
   city a vibrant African quarter with a large market/bazaar.

   After the oil crisis of 1973 and an economic downturn, Marseille became
   a haven for crime and high levels of poverty. In recent decades things
   have improved dramatically. Through plans from the AT in Paris and
   funds from the EU, the city has developed a modern and advanced economy
   based on high technology manufacturing, oil refining and service sector
   employment. In terms of recent social history, Marseille has served as
   the home of the new right and the National Front. Because of high
   levels of unemployment and a large immigrant population, Marseille is
   home to a large population of National Front supporters.

   Politically, from 1950 to the mid 1980s, Marseille was dominated by its
   long-term, six-times-re-elected mayor Gaston Defferre. The three most
   recent mayors are listed below:
     * 1953-1986: Gaston Defferre PS (already mayor of 1944 to 1946,
       re-elected in 1959, 1965, 1971, 1977, 1983)
     * 1986-1995: Robert Vigouroux RDSE (re-elected in 1989)
     * 1995 -: Jean-Claude Gaudin UMP (re-elected in 2001 and 2004)

Economy

   Historically the economy of Marseille was dominated by its role as a
   port of the French Empire, linking the North African colonies of
   Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia with the French mainland. The majority of
   the old port and docks, which experienced decline in the 1970s after
   the oil crisis have been recently redeveloped with funds from the
   European Union. The old port now contains restaurants, offices, bars
   and hotels. Fishing however still remains important in Marseille and
   the food economy of Marseille is dominated by the local catch with the
   daily fish market still on the Belgian Quay in the Old Port.

   Even today the economy of Marseille is dominated by the port, which
   functions as commercial container port as well as a transport port for
   the Mediterranean sea. However all of Marseille's port activities now
   take place along the coast at the New Port (the Old port is too small
   for modern large ships to enter). The most important port on the
   Mediterranean, it handles millions of tons of freight annually. Major
   imports include petroleum, wine, fruits, olive oil, hides and skins,
   and tropical agricultural products. Major exports are dominated by
   wines, liqueurs, processed foods, cement, and metal products. Petroleum
   refining and shipbuilding are the principal industries, but chemicals,
   soap, glass, sugar, building materials, plastics, textiles, olive oil,
   and processed foods are also important products. Marseille is connected
   with the Rhône via a canal and thus has access to the extensive
   waterway network of France. Petroleum is shipped northward to the Paris
   basin by pipeline. The city also serves as France's leading centre of
   oil refinement.

   Marseille is a major French centre for trade and industry, with an
   excellent transportation infrastructure (roads, sea port and airport).
   The airport, Marseille-Provence, is the leading French airport outside
   Paris. It is the main arrival base for millions of tourists each year
   as well as serving a growing business community. The area around the
   airport and near the borders of Aix-en-Provence and northern Marseille
   now boasts a successful business and science park. Marseille is also
   home to the University of Provence. The economy is closely associated
   with the Marseille Provence Metropolis, France's second largest
   research centre with 3000 research scientists. Marseille Metropole
   Provence is home to thousands of companies, 90% of which are small
   businesses. Among the most famous ones are: CMA-CGM, container-shipping
   giant; Comex, world leader in sub-sea engineering and hydraulic
   systems; Eurocopter Group, an EADS company; Azur Promotel, an active
   real estate development company; La Provence, the local daily
   newspaper; L' Olympique de Marseille, the famous soccer club; RTM,
   Marseille's public transport company; and Société Nationale Maritime
   Corse Méditerranée (SNCM), a major operator in passenger, vehicle and
   feright transportation in the Western Mediterranean.

   In recent years the city has also experienced a large growth in service
   sector employment and a switch from light manufacturing to a cultural
   economy. Marseille acts as a regional nexus for entertainment in the
   south of France and has a high concentration of museums, cinemas,
   theatres, clubs, bars, restaurants, fashion shops, hotels and art
   galleries, all geared towards a tourist economy.

   Unemployment in the economy has fallen to 13 percent in 2005 from 20
   percent in 1995. In May, the French financial magazine L'Expansion
   named Marseille the most dynamic of France's large cities, citing
   figures showing that 7,200 companies had been created in the city since
   2000. However Marseille remains a city with high unemployment against
   the European average and suffers a lack of jobs for its large immigrant
   population. Whilst much of the Marseille economy has been revitalised
   since its decay in the 1970s it still remains significantly stagnant in
   regards to growth compared with Paris and the old industrial regions of
   north-eastern France.

Administration

   Marseille is divided into 16 municipal arrondissements, which are
   themselves divided into quartiers (111 in total). The arrondissements
   are regrouped, in pairs, into 8 sectors, with each sectors having a
   council and a town hall (like the arrondissements in Paris and in
   Lyon).

   The municipal elections are carried out by sector. Each sector elects
   its councillors (303 in total), one third of which are municipal
   councillors.
   The arrondisements and secteurs of Marseille
   Enlarge
   The arrondisements and secteurs of Marseille

   Number of councilors elected by sector:
                Sector               1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  Total
           Sector councilors         22 16 22 30 30 26 32 24  202
         Municipal councilors        11 8  12 13 15 13 16 12  100
   Total number of elected officials 33 24 33 42 45 39 48 36  303
   Vieux port in Marseille
   Enlarge
   Vieux port in Marseille
   A view of the boulevard d'Athènes from the Saint-Charles railway
   station
   Enlarge
   A view of the boulevard d'Athènes from the Saint-Charles railway
   station
   Phare de Sainte Marie
   Enlarge
   Phare de Sainte Marie

   The Sector Mayors :
     * 1st sector (1st and 7th arrondissements): Jean Roatta
       (Representative) UMP
     * 2nd sector (2nd and 3rd arrondissements): Lisette Narducci (General
       Councilor) PS
     * 3rd sector (4th and 5th arrondissements): Bruno Gilles
       (representative) UMP
     * 4th sector (6th and 8th arrondissements): Dominique Tian
       (representative) UMP
     * 5th sector (9th and 10th arrondissements): Guy Teissier
       (representative) UMP
     * 6th sector (11th and 12th arrondissements): Roland Blum
       (representative) UMP
     * 7th sector (13th and 14th arrondissements): Garo Hovsepian PS
     * 8th sector (15th and 16th arrondissements): Frédéric Dutoit
       (representative) PCF

   The cantons of Marseille :

   Marseille holds 25 of the 58 seats at the general council of the
   Bouches-du-Rhône. Since the last election, these 25 cantons are held by
   the following councilors:
     * Marseille-La,Belle-de-Mai (pop. 25,878); General Councilor: Lisette
       Narducci PS (Mayor of the 2ème sector de Marseille)
     * Marseille-Belsunce (pop. 27,992); General Councilor: Fortuné
       Sportiello PS
     * Marseille-La,Blancarde (pop. 30,168); General Councilor Maurice Di
       Nocera UDF
     * Marseille-Le,Camas (pop. 27,506); General Councilor: Antoine
       Rouzaud PS (Municipal councilor of Marseille)
     * Marseille-La,Capelette (pop. 34,292); General Councilor: Janine
       Ecochard PS
     * Marseille-Les,Cinq-Avenues (pop. 29,846); General Councilor:
       Marie-Arlette Carlotti PS (Representative européenne)
     * Marseille-Les,Grands-Carmes (pop. 29,060); General Councilor:
       Jean-Noël Guerini PS (Sénateur, Président du Conseil Général,
       Municipal councilor of Marseille)
     * Marseille-Mazargues (pop. 35,890); General Councilor: Didier Réault
       UMP
     * Marseille-Montolivet (pop. 33,644); General Councilor: Maurice Rey
       UMP
     * Marseille-Notre-Dame-du-Mont (pop. 31,107); General Councilor:
       Jocelyn Zeitoun PS
     * Marseille-Notre-Dame-Limite (pop. 33,472); General Councilor: Joël
       Dutto PCF
     * Marseille-Les,Olives (pop. 27,052); General Councilor: Marius Masse
       PS
     * Marseille-La,Pointe-Rouge (pop. 31,116); General Councilor: Richard
       Miron UMP
     * Marseille-La,Pomme (pop. 38,701); General Councilor: René Olmeta PS
       (Municipal councilor of Marseille)
     * Marseille-La,Rose (pop. 33,206); General Councilor: Félix Weygand
       PS
     * Marseille-Saint-Barthélemy (pop. 37,629); General Councilor: Denis
       Rossi PS (Municipal councilor of Marseille)
     * Marseille-Sainte-Marguerite (pop. 36,868); General Councilor:
       Didier Garnier UMP
     * Marseille-Saint-Giniez (pop. 34,621); General Councilor: Martine
       Vassal UMP (Adjointe au Maire de Marseille)
     * Marseille-Saint-Just (pop. 32,749); General Councilor: Michel Pezet
       PS (Municipal councilor of Marseille)
     * Marseille-Saint-Lambert (pop. 26,218); General Councilor: Robert
       Assante UMP (Adjoint au Maire de Marseille)
     * Marseille-Saint-Marcel (pop. 29,981); General Councilor: Jean Bonat
       PS (Municipal councilor of Marseille)
     * Marseille-Saint-Mauront (pop. 40,392); General Councilor: Jeanine
       Porte PCF
     * Marseille-Les,Trois,Lucs (pop. 25,324); General Councilor:
       Christophe Masse PS (Representative)
     * Marseille-Vauban (pop. 29,668); General Councilor: André Malrait
       UMP
     * Marseille-Verduron (pop. 35,752). General Councilor: Henri Jibrayel
       PS

Demographics

   The population growth of Marseille followed the national average until
   the mid 20th century. From the years 1200 to 1800 the population
   remained below 100,000. From 1800 to 1930 the population grew to over
   500,000. The majority of population growth was from natural birth
   though a significant amount of Italian, Portuguese and Spanish
   immigrants arrived. By the mid-1950s, Marseille, as France's largest
   sea port, experienced a massive demographic growth as a result of the
   thousands of immigrants arriving. Later, many immigrants came from
   former French colonies from North Africa, notably migrants from
   Algeria. The population of central Marseille grew to just under one
   million by the 1980s. In the last three decades the population of
   Marseille has declined, as more and more inhabitants move elsewhere for
   work, or to the suburbs to avoid the inner city.

   Today, many Marseillais are descendants of the waves of immigrants that
   arrived at the port in the early 19th century. As a result, the ethnic
   French are a minority. The largest ethnic group in the city are
   Italians, who make up 37.5% more than a third of the city's total
   population. Other significant populations include North African Arabs
   (25% of the total population), and Armenians (12.5% of the total
   population ). It is estimated that roughly a quarter of the population
   are ethnic French. Other significant immigrant groups include people of
   Turkish, Greek, German and Vietnamese origins. The Jewish community is
   also said to be the third largest in Europe (France has the largest
   Jewish community in Europe and the third largest in the world).

Climate

   Marseille has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, dry winters and warm,
   humid summers. January and February are the coldest months, averaging
   temperatures of 10 °C (51 °F). July and August are the hottest months,
   averaging temperatures of 25 °C (78 °F). Marseille is known for its
   Mistral (wind) that occurs mostly in winter and spring.
   Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
   Avg high °C (°F) 10 (51) 11 (53) 14 (58) 17 (63) 21 (70) 25 (78) 28
   (84) 28 (83) 25 (77) 20 (68) 14 (58) 11 (53) 18 (66)
   Avg low °C (°F) 2 (37) 3 (38) 5 (42) 8 (47) 12 (54) 16 (61) 18 (66) 18
   (65) 15 (60) 11 (52) 6 (44) 3 (38) 10 (50)
   Source: Weatherbase

Culture

   The place du Général de Gaulle in Marseille.
   Enlarge
   The place du Général de Gaulle in Marseille.

   Marseille is a city that is proud of its difference from greater
   France. In the lead-up the French Revolution a group of Marseillais
   embarked from the south of France to support the conflict and
   dismantling of the Bastille. The French national anthem " La
   Marseillaise" was so named because it was first known as sung on the
   streets as a rallying call of the French Revolution by troops from
   Marseille. Today Marseille is a site of regional culture and
   entertainment served by its important opera house, its history and
   maritime museums, its five galleries and vast amount of cinemas, clubs,
   bars and restaurants.

   In regards to literature and the arts, Marseille has been the birth
   place and home of many French writers. In modern times, one can quote
   Victor Gélu, Valère Bernard, Pierre Bertas, Edmond Rostand and André
   Roussin as leading examples. The artist Cézanne spent much time in
   Marseille and painted several works of art there. The most widely
   circulated tarot deck comes from Marseille; it is called the Tarot de
   Marseille, and was used to play the local variant of tarocchi before it
   became used in cartomancy.

Opera

   Marseille's main cultural attraction was, since its creation at the end
   of the 18th century and until the late 1970s, the Opéra. Located near
   the Old Port and the Canebière, at the very heart of the city, its
   architectural style is comparable to the classical trend found on other
   opera houses built at that time in Lyon and Bordeaux. In 1920 a fire
   almost completely destroyed the building, leaving only the façade's
   colonnade which can still be admired today. The reconstruction led to a
   major competition with a main focus on the Art Deco style. For example,
   Bourdelle worked on the frescos which frame the drop cloth. The Opera's
   artistic value led the municipality to classify the building as a
   historical monument. The future of Marseille's Opéra stands on
   attracting younger groups, rejuvenating the monument's aging image, and
   achieving the recognition of the sought-after title of 'National
   Opera'. Marseille is candidate for becoming 'the European city of
   culture' and its opera house will play an important part.

Sister cities

     * United Kingdom Glasgow (Scotland)
     * Israel Haifa (Israel)
     * Armenia Yerevan (Armenia)

Music

     * The French rap band IAM are from Marseille
     * Fonky Family
     * Massilia Sound System
     * Watcha Clan
     * Paul Mauriat
     * André Pascal
     * Vincent Scotto
     * Marius Petipa
     * Jehro

Movies set in Marseille

   Marseille has been the setting for films, both Hollywood and local
   French films.
     * 37°2 le matin (1986)
     * Baise-moi (2000)
     * Bye-Bye (1995)
     * Comme un aimant (2000)
     * Gomez & Tavarès (2003)
     * La Lune dans le caniveau (1983)
     * Love Actually (2003)
     * Marius (1931)
     * Marius et Jeannette (1997)
     * Roselyne et les lions (1989)
     * Taxi (1998)
     * Taxi 2 (2000)
     * Taxi 3 (2003)
     * The French Connection (1971)
     * French Connection II (1975)
     * Trois places pour le 26 (1988)
     * Un, deux, trois, soleil (1993)

Sights

   Marseilles is classified as a significant centre of art and history.
   The city boasts many excellent museums and galleries. Of historical
   interest are many ancient buildings and churches.

1st and 2nd Arrondissements

   The 1st and 2nd arrondissements are the site of most of Marseilles
   shops and attractions, which include:
     * The Old Port of Marseilles, also known as the Panier or the Vieux
       Port, is the main marina of the city. It is guarded by two massive
       forts (Fort St Nicholas and Fort Saint Jean) and is the main place
       for eating in the city. Dozens of cafes line the Marina. The Quay
       des Belges (The Belgian Quay) is the site of the daily fish market.
       Most of the area was rebuilt by the architect Fernand Pouillon
       after much of it was destroyed by the Nazis in 1940.
     * The Phare de Sainte Marie - a lighthouse on the inlet to the Old
       Port
     * La Vieille Charité in the Old Port is a grand building once used as
       a workhouse and charity hospice. It has an archeological museum and
       a gallery of African and Asian art.
     * The Centre Bourse is the main shopping centre of Marseille and
       contains both the History Museum (below) as well as a series of
       open archeological ruins now used as a park.
     * The Musee D'Histoire is the Marseille history museum, which
       contains records of the Greek and Roman history of Marseille as
       well as the most fully recovered hull of a 6th century boat in the
       world.
     * The Musee de la Maritime is a small museum located in the old
       Chamber of Commerce, devoted to the sea economy of Marseille over
       the centuries. Also of note, the old Chamber of Commerce is a
       significant historical building - the first Chamber of Commerce in
       France and includes a collection of model ships.
     * The Musee de la Mode is a modern fashion museum which looks at the
       last 30 years of design and has over 2000 items on display.
     * The Musee Cantini is an art museum near the Palais De Justice - it
       houses artworks associated with Marseille as well as several works
       by Picasso.
     * Pierre Puget park

Outside of Central Marseille

     * The Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, built by the architect
       Jacques Henri Esperandieu is an enormous Romano-Byzantine basilica
       1KM south of the Old Port. Well worth the steep climb, views from
       the Cathedral extend to the suburbs of Marseille.
     * The Marseilles Stadium and Velodrome, where local football matches
       are held along with the Olympique de Marseille
     * The Gare Saint-Charles - The main train station
     * Unité d'Habitation, by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier
     * The Hôtel-God
     * Saint-Joseph Hospital
     * The Palais de Longchamp is a grand colonnaded building. It houses
       two of Marseille's old museums - the Musee des Beaux-Arts and the
       natural history museum.
     * Borély park
     * Chanot park

Outside Marseille

     * The calanques - famous coastal features (can be visited by car or a
       bus from the Castellane)
     * The local beaches such as Prado
     * The abbey of Saint-Victor and its crypt which is the oldest place
       Christian worship in France
     * Château d'If, an ancient prison on the island of If, where The
       Count of Monte Cristo was jailed, in the novel by Alexandre Dumas.
       The island can be reaced via boat trips form the Old Port. The
       islands of Ratonneu and Pomegues are also near to the Château d'If
       and an important centre for sea wildlife.

Transport

   The city is served by an international airport, Aéroport de Marseille
   Provence, located in Marignane. The airport has two terminals. Terminal
   one, the main terminal of the aiport contains halls 1,2,3 and 4 and
   serves as a base for international arrivals and departures. The new
   terminal, refered to as Marseille Mp2 is used for flights arriving and
   departing from Europe. A shuttle coach system operates between the
   airport and the train station Saint-Charles.

   The train station Saint-Charles is Marseilles leading train station,
   the other being the Maritime station. The centenary railway station of
   Saint-Charles operates regional services to nearby towns such as
   Toulouse and Nice as well as being the end of the TGV in the south of
   France. Trains take only three hours to make the huge distance to
   Paris.

   Marseille itself is connected by the metro train system consisting of 2
   lines represented by orange and blue. Line 1 (blue) between Catellane
   and La Rose opened in 1977 and Line 2 (orange) between
   Sainte-Marguerite/Dromel and Bougainville opened between 1984 and 1987.
   An extension to Line 1 from Castellane to La Timone was completed in
   1992 and a further extension from La Timone up to La Fourragère was
   recently completed. The Metro system operates on a turnstile system,
   with tickets purchased at the nearby adjacent automated booths. Both
   lines of the Metro intersect at the Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles.
   Marseilles busiest Metro station is the Old Port - the Vieux Port,
   which is decorated with cobblestones and has fish tanks in the walls.

   An extensive bus network serves the city and suburbs of Marseille. The
   majority of bus services originate from the Catellane - a large street
   near the Prefecture.

Sport

   The city boasts a wide variety of sports facilities and caters to
   almost every interest. The dominant force in the sporting world of the
   city is the city's football club - Olympique de Marseille, UEFA
   Champions League winner in 1993. The club is reasonably successful but
   has was tainted recently in the 1990s match fixing scandal by
   then-owner Bernard Tapie. The clubs home - the stade Velodrome, also
   functions for other local sports including cycling and athletics.

   Sailing is a major sport in Marseille. The winds can blow from
   different directions and allow interesting regattas in the warm waters
   of the Mediterranean. Most of the time it can be windy while the sea
   remains smooth enough to allow sailing. It has been considered as a
   possible site for 2008 Americas Cup. Marseille is also a place for
   other water sports such as windsurfing, sailing and powerboating.

   Marseille has three golf courses to its north and north east. The city
   also boasts dozens of gyms and several council owned swimming pools.
   Running is also popular in many of Marseilles parks such as Le Pharo
   and Le Jardin Pierre Puget.

Births and deaths in Marseille

   Marseille was the birthplace of:
     * Antonin Artaud ( 1897- 1948), author
     * Maurice Béjart (born 1927), ballet choreographer
     * Jean-Henry Gourgaud, aka. "Dugazon" (1746-1809), actor
     * Désirée Clary (1777-1860), wife of King Carl XIV Johann of Sweden,
       and therefore Queen Desirée or Queen Desideria of Sweden
     * Adolphe Thiers (1797-1877), first president of the Third Republic
     * Étienne Joseph Louis Garnier-Pages (1801-1841), politician
     * Honoré Daumier (1808-1879), caricaturist and painter
     * Joseph Autran (1813-1877), poet
     * Charles-Joseph-Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861), Bishop of Marseilles
       and Founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
     * Marius Petipa (1818-1910), ballet choreographer
     * Olivier Émile Ollivier (1825-1913), statesman
     * Joseph Pujol, aka. " Le Pétomane" (1857-1945), entertainer
     * Paul Mauriat (1925),orchestra leader, composer
     * Edmond Rostand (1868-1918), poet and dramatist
     * Vincent Scotto (1876-1952), guitarist, songwriter
     * Fernandel (1903-1971), actor
     * Éliane Browne-Bartroli (1917-1944), French Resistance, Croix de
       Guerre
     * Louis Jourdan (born 1919), actor
     * Jean Pierre Rampal (1922-2000), flûtiste
     * André di Fusco (1932-2001), known as André Pascal, song writer,
       composer
     * Jean-Claude Izzo (1945-2000), author
     * Éric Cantona (born 1966), legendary Manchester United footballer
     * Marc Panther (born 1970), member of the popular Japanese rock band
       globe
     * Zinédine Zidane (born 1972), world class footballer currently
       retired from Real Madrid.
     * Mathieu Flamini, footballer
     * Mathieu Ganio, (1984) danseur étoile (ballet dancer)
     * Romain Barnier (born 1976), freestyle swimmer
     * Sébastien Grosjean (born 1978), tennis player

   The following personalities died in Marseille:
     * French poet Arthur Rimbaud on November 10, 1891.
     * King Alexander I of Yugoslavia was assassinated on October 9, 1934
       in Marseille along with French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou.

Gallery

   Tram for Marseille in Vienna (Austria) precommissioning checksam at (
   Wiener Linien)

   A view onto the Old Port

   The Fort Saint Nicolas, overlooking the harbour on the left bank

   Le Corbusier's Unite d'Habitation

   Madonna and Child statue on the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde.

   Musée des Beaux Arts, Marseille.

   The Église des Réformés church

   Joan of Arc statue in Marseille.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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