Admiring the walls of Ch\u00e2teau Roux, can you hear echoes of forgotten poetry? Ch\u00e2teau Roux stands as a testament to a family’s artistic legacy. We are standing before Ch\u00e2teau Roux. This is the former residence of the son of the symbolist poet Saint-Pol-Roux.
Let’s step back in time. Pierre Paul Roux later known as Saint-Pol-Roux was born in the Saint-Henri district of Marseille in 1861. Saint-Pol-Roux represents the archetype of the forgotten poet. Andre Breton dedicated his collection Clair de terre to him. Vercors dedicated Le Silence de la mer to the poet.
Though published in the journal L’Ermitage his work remained largely unknown during his lifetime. The Symbolists celebrated him. Later the Surrealists gave a banquet in his honor in 1925 at the Closerie des lilas. The banquet turned into a brawl. Saint-Pol-Roux fled. He was frightened.
Saint-Pol-Roux died in Brest in 1940. He was largely unappreciated in his time. Yet his words capture the essence of Marseille. Listen to an excerpt from his Ave Massilia. Marseille daughter of the Orient Marseille lover of Spain! Marseille mistress of Italy! Marseille sister of the entire world! Marseille O Marseille whose sunshine my childhood has suckled. Whose mistral has sanded me. I love you O my mother O my country. Despite my hatred of the merchants concealed within your temple. Marseille poet on his return from exile I kiss your brow of dawn. Your eyes of cassia your mouth of pomegranate. Your breasts of orange and your body of amber. Your arms and your thighs of marble. Your feet of sapphire. I kiss also your heart of crimson and your soul of diamond. As I would kiss the rainbow of God himself O Marseille hail.
Ch\u00e2teau Roux at 123 Rue Rabelais is a reminder of Marseille’s rich cultural history. It also reminds us of the artists who found inspiration here. It is a place where poetry and history intertwine. The walls of Ch\u00e2teau Roux whisper tales of artistic passion. The Ch\u00e2teau Roux echoes the spirit of a poet largely forgotten.
The Ch\u00e2teau Roux is a place where the past comes alive. This is a place that invites reflection on the enduring power of art. Let us carry with us the spirit of Saint-Pol-Roux. May we find beauty in unexpected places.