MuCEM Marseille latticework facadeThe MuCEM (Musée des civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée, or the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) is Marseille's most dramatic new museum.

booking.com logoClick here to book a hotel in Provence

But the MuCEM has turned out to be much more than that. Sitting on the J4 Esplanade, the ultra-modern new buildings and the adjacent mediaeval Fort Saint Jean form a brilliant series of interlocking, open-air public spaces.

From them you can enjoy stupendous panoramic views of the sea and the city, from the Cathedral and commercial port on one side to the Old Port and Notre Dame de la Garde on the other.

Also in this area to the north of Old Port: the Musée Regards de Provence, the Cosquer Méditerranée, the Tour Panorama and the FRAC Sud. It's difficult to think of another city which has acquired so many new art-oriented spaces in such close proximity and so short a time.

Best of all, you don't have to pay to see the MuCEM. While there is a (very reasonable) charge to visit the exhibitions, access is entirely free to the gardens, cafés and restaurants, open-air theatre and scenic strolls.

These areas are usually packed with locals as well as tourists on sunny weekends and visitor numbers have vastly exceeded predictions. And now that the MuCEM has been awarded a much-coveted top, three-star rating in the Michelin Travel Guide, its popularity is only likely to grow.

Inside the MuCEM MarseilleIts architect, Rudy Ricciotti was born in Algeria, trained in Marseille and Geneva and remains based in Provence, where he also created the equally bold - if much smaller scale - Pavillon Noir in Aix.

For the MuCEM Ricciotti has imagined a breathtaking design with a double façade. The main building, with its glass windows, is wrapped in an intricate black concrete mashrabiya lacework screen that creates a North African feel.

The building changes colours constantly depending on the weather and the time of day and, viewed from the inside, the sun streaming through the screen creates beautiful dappled effects of light and shade. In theory it also offers some protection from the wind as well as the sun.

A long ramp, pictured, runs all round the MuCEM between the latticework screen and the main building from the ground level to the roof terrace. You can go up or down this ramp while the museum is open without entering the exhibitions.

A high walkway above the water connects the MuCEM to the adjacent Fort Saint Jean, a fortress dating back to the late twelfth century. Its rich history complements MuCEM's sharp modernity.

Initially occupied by the Military Order of the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John, which originated its name, the site was co-opted by King Louis XIV in 1660.

View of Notre Dame and Fort Saint Nicolas from Fort Saint Jean MarseilleAt the same time the King built a second fort on the other side of the Old Port: the Fort Saint Nicolas, now known as the Citadelle de Marseille.

In both cases the purpose was not so much to protect the city from invaders as to deter local uprisings against the Parisian authorities.

Pictured: The Old Port, Notre Dame de la Garde and Fort Saint Nicolas viewed from the Fort Saint Jean.

As well as these military facilities, the Fort Saint Jean incorporated the Knights' hospice. A phallic watchtower was constructed in the 15th century by King René I of Provence. Closed to the public for centuries, the fort has now been restored and transformed into additional exhibition spaces.

There's also a promenade and a "dry garden" of drought-resistant Mediterranean plants, the Jardin des Migrations. It's landscaped to evoke the different homelands of successive waves of immigrants to Marseille.

This whole area provides a spectacular setting for outdoor concerts, film screenings and other shows in summer.

You can wander around the compound of the Fort among its lovely old buildings, again without going inside, and enjoy a series of views of the sea and the city, each more remarkable than the last. Or you can simply relax in the gardens and shady seating area.

A second footbridge links the Fort Saint Jean to Saint Laurent Church in the Panier (Marseille's Old Town). These walkways aren't things of great beauty - but they do look reassuringly solid.

MuCEM and Fort Saint Jean Marseille aerial viewIf you suffer from vertigo or prefer to remain on firm ground, you don't need to use them. The Fort Saint Jean can also be accessed by steps and the MuCEM has its ramp as well as the usual stairs and lifts / elevators. Pictured: an aerial view of the whole complex.

Both complexes are wheelchair- and pushchair-friendly and, in fact, are well-equipped for a range of handicaps: click here for more details.

But what's inside these vast new spaces? At any one time there are generally two large semi-permanent displays at the MuCEM, based on the museum's own collection of over a million works.

In addition there are a number of temporary shows, both major and small, at any one time in the MuCEM itself and in the Fort Saint Jean. Some of these draw on loans from other galleries and museums. The day pass allows you to visit all of them and represents very good value.

Around three-quarters of the MuCEM's holdings come from the former Musée national des arts et traditions populaires (National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions) in Paris, which closed down in 2005.

Additional artefacts have been acquired from other museums, including the Musée de l'Homme (Museum of Mankind). Others are newly purchased by the MuCEM itself.

It's not an entirely smooth match. The Musée national des arts et traditions populaires concentrated on French history and artefacts.

By contrast the MuCEM is shaped by a broad range of disciplines: archeology, art history, sociology and political sciences, among others. And its remit is Mediterranean Civilisations in the plural. Its pieces come from Greece, North Africa, Syria and even further abroad.

The MuCEM Marseille by nightThe eclectic mix includes documents, paintings, prints and sculptures, furniture, tools, vehicles, reliquaries, jewellery, traditional clothing, textiles, fairground art, bull-fighting paraphernalia, Edith Piaf's stage costume and even Pink Floyd's mixing console.

These are displayed in rotation on the ground floor of the MuCEM and in spaces in the Fort Saint Jean. Those works not on show are stored in yet another new building, the Centre de Conservation des Ressources (the CCR) in the nearby Belle de Mai district. Parts of the CCR are open to the public too.

The MuCEM's cavernous lobby area leads, on the ground floor, to galleries containing semi-permanent exhibitions.

Le grand Mezzé reflects on the Mediterranean diet "from the field to the plate" and its influence on eating around the world while Populaire? (Popular?) showcases a range of choice artefacts from the MuCEM's permanent collections.

There's a great show tucked away at the back of the Fort Saint Jean: five rooms of audio-visual presentations exploring the 2600 year history of Marseille as seen through the fort area.

News for the MuCEM MarseilleOne of the winter 2023-2024 exhibitions at the MuCEM is called Une autre histoire du monde (An Alternative History of the World).

At the title suggests, it explores history from a non-Western / Eurocentric perspective, focussing on artefacts from Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania. 8 November-11 March 2024. Other current shows are listed on our Museums and Galleries of Marseille page.

Among the MuCEM's other best recent exhibitions were an exploration of Pablo Picasso and his relationship to Mediterranean folk traditions and a celebration of the great provençal writer Jean Giono, author of The Horseman on the Roof and the much-loved The Man Who Planted Trees.

Also notable: two recent shows exploring the unique worlds of Jeff Koons and Ai Weiwei. Koons, the "pope of neo-pop", as the MuCEM described him, is celebrated for his sculptures using everyday objects, such as "balloon" animals made of stainless steel. Pictured below: Koons with one of these creations.

jeff koons balloon rabbitIn 2021 a major show combined several dozen of Koons' own works with pieces, personally chosen by the artist, from the the MuCEM's collection of popular artefacts from France and other countries around the Mediterranean.

The concept was similar to the Ai Weiwei show at the MuCEM in 2018, a revealing portrait of Ai and his unexpected connection to Marseille.

Aside from its exhibition spaces, the MuCEM and Fort Saint Jean house an auditorium, two bookshops and a children's zone, a picnic area, snack bar, brasserie and restaurant.

Gérard Passédat, who holds three Michelin stars for Le petit Nice, his own restaurant on the other side of Marseille, oversees the catering. Pictured: the MuCEM's rooftop restaurant.

The rooftop restaurant at the MuCEM MarseilleInsider tip for the MuCEM MarseilleLike many French museums, the MuCEM offers free admission to its galleries on the first Sunday of each month. Arrive early, though, to beat the crowds. This free entry offer may not apply during the peak summer tourist season.

And watch out too for Plan B, a fun summer festival in the first half of August featuring films, poetry, dance, music - and the chance to spend all night at the MuCEM.

Website for the MuCEM Marseille. Note that the English-language section of this site is not always up-to-date, so it's best to consult the French-language area if you can.

How to get there: The MuCEM sits to the north of the Old Port, just beyond the Fort Saint Jean, on the spur of land known as the J4 Esplanade. It's right next to the Villa Méditerranée near the Cathedral.

You can walk there in five-ten minutes from the Old Port. Alternatively, take bus 82, 83, 60 or 49. The museum is a somewhat further walk from the nearest metro (Vieux Port or Joliette) or tram (République/Dames or Joliette) stops.

RELATED ARTICLES

 

Main Menu