Ever wonder how ice was made before refrigerators? Boulevard Glacière in Marseille holds a chilly secret. Today I will tell you a cool story of how ice shaped this street’s past.
Let’s walk back over a century. Imagine no electric fridges. How did people keep food cold? The answer lies in structures called glacières. These ice houses were essential. Ice was a luxury item.
Provence may seem an unlikely place for ice production. However, over 20 glacières were built here between 1650 and 1885. The principle was simple. During winter vast clay-lined reservoirs collected spring water. Through specially designed channels the water was directed into these reservoirs. The ice would reach 15 cm in thickness in only three days.
Now let’s meet Auguste a farmer from Gémenos. It is a freezing morning on February 8th. The year is 1864. Auguste leaves his plow and heads to the Saint-Pons mountains. There he meets about 100 colleagues. For three weeks they will harvest ice. They cut it from the reservoirs. The men stacked 2400 cubic meters of ice into a deep pit. This pit was 16 meters high. Auguste earned about 3 francs per day a fair wage at the time.
Once harvested the ice had to be transported. The ice was cut with a chisel. It was placed in containers. Then it was carried to Marseille Aix or Toulon. Dozens of donkeys paraded at night. They traveled to Sainte-Marthe and Saint-Joseph in Marseille. It was a dangerous journey for both animals and goods. Thieves often stole from these ice convoys.
Ice had many uses. Hospitals used it to ease pain. It helped preserve fresh fish. The ice cooled food. Most importantly it made delicious ice cream possible. Ice became indispensable. Its price soared.
In 1686 a major ice shortage caused a revolt in Marseille. The winter had been mild. The reservoirs remained empty. Riots broke out. One ice merchant Honoré Rambaud saw his family attacked. To resolve the crisis he sent 12 ships to Grenoble. They brought ice from the Alps.
The ice trade boomed until the late 19th century. The arrival of the railway changed everything. Ice could now be transported directly from the mountains. Factories began producing ice. The natural glacières fell into disuse.
As we stroll along Boulevard Glacière remember its icy heritage. It is a reminder of a time. People depended on nature’s cold to survive the heat. The street’s name echoes with the sounds of picks breaking ice and the clip-clop of donkeys. Today even in the mild Marseille climate we can appreciate the value of something we now take for granted.