The Palais Longchamp is nestled in a green setting in the center of Marseille. Built in 1869 to celebrate the arrival of water in Marseille, the monument houses the Natural History Museum of Marseille and a Fine Arts Museum. It has become a favorite meeting place for families and people from Marseille thanks to its green gardens dotted with shrubs.
Palais Longchamp in Marseille
A Palace to celebrate the arrival of water in Marseille
The city of Marseille suffered from a lack of water for many decades. With the expansion of the city, it became necessary to find a solution to this problem. Following the terrible drought that struck the city in 1834 and the cholera epidemics of 1835, the construction of a canal to divert the waters of the Durance towards Marseille, the Phocaean city, was envisaged. In 1839, when work on the Marseille canal began, the administrators of the commune decided to have a water tower built on the Longchamp plateau to celebrate the arrival of the waters. The Duke of Orleans laid the foundation stone of the building on his return from Africa. However, we had to wait 30 years for the work to really begin. It was necessary to find a project that would meet the municipality’s expectations, and whose cost would be in accordance with the allocated budgets.
A monumental complex
After analyzing several projects proposed by famous architects, it was finally Henri Espérandieu, the architect who had led the work on the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, who was chosen to build the Palais Longchamp. Marseille officials asked him to build a water tower lined with numerous waterfalls visible from Boulevard Longchamp, a museum for natural history and the other for fine arts, as well as two gardens, the first of botanical type for the use of the museum, the other for the public. The plans drawn by Espérandieu were validated in 1862 and the realization of the Palace was completed in 1869.
The construction is a true hymn to water. At the top of the large fountain, which welcomes visitors, a young woman representing the Durance stands proudly with her foot resting on an inverted amphora. Beside her stand Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, harvest and fertility, and Pomona, the goddess of fruit and vines. The chariot on which they stand is pulled by four bulls. The water then cascades down to a huge basin. All the decorations have been designed to evoke the abundance and fertility brought by the waters of the Durance thanks to the Canal de Marseille.
Two remarkable museums
When the Palais Longchamp was built, the commune officials wanted to create a museum of natural history in which they could exhibit the collections that were stored in a former masonic lodge. In 1869, the museum was installed in the right wing of the Palais Longchamp, while the museum of fine arts took its place in the left wing in 1873. In 1967, thanks to these incredible collections, the museum was classified as a “first category” museum, then as a “Musées de France” in 2002. It allows the public to discover considerable evidence of the natural heritage. 83,000 specimens of naturalized animals are exhibited there, regional fauna and flora have been given pride of place and many cultures are presented.
In the museum of Fine Arts, the curious can admire more than 8,000 paintings, sculptures and drawings retracing four centuries of art history. The works of the greatest Italian and French masters who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries are exhibited here: Perugino, Guerchin, Vernet, Champaigne, etc. Paintings by Rubens, Jordaens and Snyders have also found their place there. One of the special features of the Museum of Fine Arts in the Palais Longchamp is the presentation of art in Provence in the 17th and 18th centuries. There are also temporary exhibitions.
The park and gardens
The Longchamp park is a real green setting of 8 hectares located in the city center of Marseille. It is divided into several parts and is dotted with trees. The park at the level of the plateau was inaugurated at the same time as the Palais Longchamp. This French garden highlights the architecture of the place and its famous fountains, with its wide winding alleys.
The zoological garden welcomed animals until 1987. The cages, shelters, and oriental pavilions, deserted by giraffes, elephants, and wild animals, are still visible in this space and bear witness to the ancient function of the place. The animals have been replaced by animal sculptures of art since 2013. The atmosphere of this English garden is rather picturesque with its former bandstand. Every year, the Marseille Jazz des Cinq Continents Festival is organized there.
Prepare your visit
You can visit the exterior galleries of the Palais Longchamp for free. Access to the museums and the various monuments is subject to a charge.
The Palais is open all year round, but the schedule varies according to the seasons.
Longchamp Park schedule:
- From October to March: from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- From April to September from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Schedule and opening days of the Palais Longchamp Museums:
- Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Closed every Monday, except Easter Monday and Whit Monday.
Closed on January 1, May 1, November 1 and 11, December 25 and 26.
Sélection de monuments dans les Bouches-du-Rhône :
