« Et toi, Marseille, assise aux portes de la France, comme pour accueillir ses hôtes dans tes eaux. »
(O Marseille, established at the gateway of France, as if to welcome its guests in your waters)
(O Marseille, established at the gateway of France, as if to welcome its guests in your waters)
cit. Alphonse de Lamartine
Marseille is the second largest city in France, after Paris. Historically was the most important trade center in the region and it is still the France's largest city on the Mediterrean coast and the largest commercial port.
Actually for me is more than this, for my it was the door for the Orient, the Near East with its smell and mix languages. A mixture of cultures where Arabs and French coexist together since generations.
However, it is not an easy coexistence: in the Sixties the so called “Pieds-noirs” from the former French Algeria come back to France and they had to be integrated in a country new for them, the first city they met was Marseille, most of them decided to stay there. Besides, a lot of Algerians after the Second World War come to France, in Marseille, namely to work for reconstruct the city and to give more impulse to urbanization. Actually 1/3 of the city residents are considered to be of Maghrebi origin, mostly from Algeria, whereas a consistent part of the population of Marseille can trace their roots back to Italy. Besides Marseille also has the second-largest Corsican and Armenian populations of France. Indeed, we should recall how French was soon one on the first country to recognize the Armenian genocide in 1998.
When you cross the street Canebière till going to Noailles, but in particular to le Marché de Capucins, you can smell the Arab atmosphere and you soon understand that your are not in France anymore but in an Arab souk, where people try to sell you everything and make a lot of noise. Every meat sold is “halal”, every sweet is made with honey and everyone knows each other.
I had the opportunity to see this area during the Ramadan period and everything was so different, no noise, no people in the street, some shop closed, whereas in the night whispers and people appear silently in the streets.
The most import fact is that I am talking about the city center and not about the peripheries.
Actually the Vieux-Port area is very touristic with shops and restaurants, but behind it, in particular behind the municipality there a nice and more popular area called “Le Panier”.
Panier ist the most ancient and authentic part of the city. Historically, a Greece colony in 600 B.C settled down there. Its tiny streets reminds me to a popular neighborhood of small fisherman village. Actually, it is still a popular neighborhood, as a lot of families of Corse or North African origin lives there, together with ethnic restaurants and ateliers. This is due to the fact that in the last twenty year a restoration of the entire district was made and nowadays small shop which sells handmade products, art galleries, and atelier populate the neighbourhoods.
Every year in June there is the celebration of the Panier, « la fête du Panier » which is organized by the local associations and envisages concerts, expositions, street theatre and cuisine courses.
The most incredible part is that people from Panier go down in the street to sell what they have prepared to eat and to drink for all people. It can be sandwiches or cous cous, it can be rise with meat or fish, sardines in particular. Such event conveys you the idea of popular and multiethnic neighborhood where different culture coexist and help each others.
I would like to end with the area of Cours Julien. Perched up on a hill, the Cours Julien district is beloved of Marseille's urban bohemian community. It is full of bars, restaurants, theatres and shops with colorful, hand-painted façades.
If you are interested in street art, painted walls and graffiti, that is the right place for you. When I wanted to meet art, creative and alternative people in Marseille, I used to go there.
For more information on events and the happening venues check the local association website
Marseille is the second largest city in France, after Paris. Historically was the most important trade center in the region and it is still the France's largest city on the Mediterrean coast and the largest commercial port.
Actually for me is more than this, for my it was the door for the Orient, the Near East with its smell and mix languages. A mixture of cultures where Arabs and French coexist together since generations.
When you cross the street Canebière till going to Noailles, but in particular to le Marché de Capucins, you can smell the Arab atmosphere and you soon understand that your are not in France anymore but in an Arab souk, where people try to sell you everything and make a lot of noise. Every meat sold is “halal”, every sweet is made with honey and everyone knows each other.
I had the opportunity to see this area during the Ramadan period and everything was so different, no noise, no people in the street, some shop closed, whereas in the night whispers and people appear silently in the streets.
The most import fact is that I am talking about the city center and not about the peripheries.
Actually the Vieux-Port area is very touristic with shops and restaurants, but behind it, in particular behind the municipality there a nice and more popular area called “Le Panier”.
Every year in June there is the celebration of the Panier, « la fête du Panier » which is organized by the local associations and envisages concerts, expositions, street theatre and cuisine courses.
The most incredible part is that people from Panier go down in the street to sell what they have prepared to eat and to drink for all people. It can be sandwiches or cous cous, it can be rise with meat or fish, sardines in particular. Such event conveys you the idea of popular and multiethnic neighborhood where different culture coexist and help each others.
I would like to end with the area of Cours Julien. Perched up on a hill, the Cours Julien district is beloved of Marseille's urban bohemian community. It is full of bars, restaurants, theatres and shops with colorful, hand-painted façades.
If you are interested in street art, painted walls and graffiti, that is the right place for you. When I wanted to meet art, creative and alternative people in Marseille, I used to go there.
For more information on events and the happening venues check the local association website
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