Villa Mediterranee Marseille by nightFormerly a cultural centre, the dramatic, modernist Villa Méditerranée has found new life housing the Cosquer Méditerranée, a large-scale replica of an amazing prehistoric cave.

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A THUMBNAIL HISTORY

The original Grotte Cosquer is located at the end of an underwater tunnel in the calanque of Morgiou south of Marseille.

In prehistoric times, the sea level was much lower than today. The cave was easily accessible and inhabited for thousands of years.

During that time, the early cavemen and women decorated their habitat richly, with handprints and hundreds of paintings and carvings of animals and fish as well as mysterious signs and symbols.

Very unusually for prehistoric art, some images depicted marine life such as seals and jellyfish. There are even two male great auks (a now-extinct species that looks like a penguin) fighting over a female!

Bear in mind that this was an Ice Age in Provence and the climate then was very different from today. So the wildlife is not quite what you might expect.

Over 500 images have been found so far and there are certainly many more. Excavations of the site are still ongoing.

cosquer cave diagramThe cave was first discovered in 1985 by a diver from Cassis named Henri Cosquer, after whom it is named. There are numerous prehistoric sites in France, mainly in the south-west, but this is the first known one east of the Rhône river.

The cave quickly excited huge interest and divers flocked to see it. But the underwater tunnel leading to it, map pictured, is exceptionally difficult and dangerous.

It's long, narrow and on an upward slope. And, when you get to the main cave, the entrance is through a tiny aperture.

cosquer_cave.jpgThree people drowned trying to see the Grotte Cosquer in 1991. Since then access has been strictly limited to experienced divers and it is now completely closed to the general public.

Climate change, pollution and the steady rise in sea level are all threatening the original artworks, which will gradually all disappear underwater and be lost forever.

And, because of the cave's difficult location, there is no way to extract and preserve them. One day this new replica will be the only record of them we will have left.

The Cosquer Méditerranée opened in 2022 and since then has become a major tourist attraction, as has been the case elsewhere in France with replicas of the Lascaux cave and other prehistoric sites. In its first year some 800,000 people visited it.

 

INSIDE THE COSQUER MÉDITERRANÉE

cosquer mediterranee divers cafeYou enter the Cosquer Méditerranée through a reproduction of the Cassis diving club and café, pictured, where Henri Cosquer's extraordinary adventure began.

Here you see the vintage diving equipment he used, and even his original home-made underwater camera.

Then a lift / elevator plunges you "underwater", down to the basement of the Villa, where a fleet of small electric chariots wait to whisk you through the cave.

You can click here to view a short film simulating the visit. Don't worry if you don't speak French: there's no voice-over, only music.

When you actually go round in person, you can listen to a cleverly synchronised earphone commentary as you glide gently through the cave.

It points out and explains the highlights: the superb art, of course, but also the eerie stalagmite and stalagtite rock formations, a fossilised crab, ancient tools used by the cave's former inhabitants and even one of Cosquer’s diving lamps. It's fascinating and packed with detail.

cosquer cave tourThe ride through the cave lasts around 35 minutes and is pretty impressive. You can reach out and touch the incredibly lifelike "rock" (actually resin on concrete).

Kids love it, though they must be aged over three to tour the cave. In fact a third of the visitors so far have been under 18.

The commentary is available in six languages, including English, and the signage throughout the site is in English and French. A recent addition is a commentary (in French) designed for younger visitors.

Afterwards, you can watch a short documentary about the discovery of the cave before ascending to the light-drenched upper level of the Cosquer Méditerranée.

Glass Floor at the Villa Mediterranee MarseilleThis is a jutting belvedere on a precarious-looking cantilever. It's a full 40 metres / 130 feet long and overhangs a large artificial pool.

Here you can enjoy the play of luminous reflections as well as splendid views across the port and the sea. The sloping floor is inset with vertigo-inducing glass inset panels, pictured, looking down on the water!

The architecture is stunning. But the main attracion here is the menagerie of life-size prehistoric animals all glaring out at Marseille’s Cathedral, the MuCEM and the sea through the huge plate glass windows. It's a slightly surreal sight, pictured.

cosquer mediterrane upper galleryThey are accompanied by thought-provoking and educational displays highlighting issues of the environment and climate change as well of cases of jewelry, pottery and other artefacts.

We were honoured to meet Monsieur Cosquer at the opening of the attraction that bears his name and had the chance to ask him what he thought of it.

Of course the tour of the cave can't begin to capture the thrill he must have had from doing his actual dives of discovery and, to be honest, is a little bit like a first-class fairground ride.

Monsieur Cosquer, pictured, was pragmatic. 90% of the population can’t dive, he pointed out. So this is as close to the cave as pretty much all of us are ever going to get.

henri_cosquer.jpgWe did have one more question. Could there be other caves like this in Provence, other incredible hidden treasures - and has he been searching for them?

"No comment," replied Monsieur Cosquer firmly. We took that to be a "Yes".

Where: Cosquer Méditerranée, Promenade Robert Laffont 13002 Marseille. Tickets to the Cosquer Méditerranée give you access to the cave tour, the exhibition in the belevdere and all other areas of the site, including a shop and the Le France café-restaurant with terrific views across the sea.

Discounts are available for children, groups and cruise tourists. They can be booked on the website for the Cosquer Méditerranée.

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How to get there: The Cosquer Méditerranée 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 MuCEM and near the Cathedral.

You can walk there in five-ten minutes from the Old Port. Alternatively, take bus 82, 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.

FOOTNOTE: THE VILLA MÉDITERRANÉE

The Villa Méditerranée, pictured, has its own stormy history. Designed by the Milanese architect Stefano Boeri, it forms a striking addition to Marseille's seafront towards the commercial docks and cruise ship terminals.

cosquer mediterraneeNext to the MuCEM and behind the Fort Saint Jean, the Villa's sleek white structure forms a striking contrast with its squat black neighbour.

But the Villa Méditerranée was always controversial. There was huge rivalry with the MuCEM: the two buildings opened within weeks of each other in 2013. What's more, the Villa and the MuCEM had very similar missions: to promote Mediterranean culture.

The main difference: the MuCEM is nationally funded while the Villa Méditerranée's 70 million €uro price tag was paid for by the region of Provence.

Many eyebrows were raised at this duplication, which apparently arose for vainglorious political reasons.

From a purely visual and architectural point of view, the two buildings complemented each other perfectly with their bold, contrasting shapes and colours.

But the Villa never really found its mission and closed in 2018 in order to be turned into the Cosquer Méditerranée.

Until relatively recently, this part of Marseille was an industrial desert. Now it hosts some of the most exciting and innovative architecture in town.

As well as the Villa and the MuCEM, you can find the elegant, 1950s-style Musée Regards de Provence, Kengo Kuma's FRAC Sud with its Japanese origami-like facade, the Silo d'Arenc (a concert venue in a former grain silo), Jean Nouvel’s patriotic tricolour skyscraper La Marseillaise and Zaha Hadid's thrusting office block for the shipping company CMA CGM.

Photo credits: all images © SJ for Marvellous Provence except the Grotte Cosquer map and cave art detail © Kléber Rossillon / Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the Villa itself © Stefano Boeri / Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

 

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