Remember the name La Pomme. It means “The Apple” in French. La Pomme is a vibrant district in Marseille. It is located in the 11th arrondissement. Would you believe it’s the third most populated in the city?
La Pomme has a rich history. It began as a small village. The village grew around an old center. This was along the “small road to Aubagne.” Today, that original center still exists. Urbanization replaced old farm properties. Housing developments and buildings have taken their place.
Let’s take a trip back in time. In 1664, a cathedral register mentioned a village named La Pomme. It was about 5.5 kilometers from Marseille. The name existed since the early 16th century. An unknown innkeeper created an inn. This inn provided lodging and food. The place became known as Logis de la Pomme. Eventually, it was simply called La Pomme. This name appeared on parish maps as early as 1517.
The Logis de la Pomme was at 67 Avenue Emmanuel Allard. For centuries, the area was called Plan de Padéou. This means Plateau du Padeau. It marked the southeastern end of a plateau. Today, that plateau is Grande Bastide-La Pommeraie. Since the 9th century, this part of the Huveaune’s right bank was known for a mill. Monks from Saint-Victor built this mill. It was called Le Moulin du Colombier. Le Colombier stretched from La Pomme to Saint-Loup. It went from the Huveaune to the road to Aubagne. The mill became Moulin de la Pomme.
Around 1499, religious brothers built a chapel. This was the first place of worship in the area. The area became the hamlet of Saint-Dominique. Today, a housing complex stands there. It’s called La Dominique.
Now, let’s talk about food. In 1880, Louis Ginouvès created a famous dish. It made La Pomme renowned. The dish was pieds paquets. “Mother Maurel” cooked it in her restaurant, Le Chalet. The Marseillais loved this dish. They came in carriages on Sundays to taste it. They enjoyed the dish by the Huveaune River. A song about it went: “Let’s go to La Pomme to eat paquets and we will act like true Marseillais.”
At the entrance of La Pomme once stood the Villa Air-Bel. André Roussin spent his vacations there. During the German occupation, it became a refuge. Many French people waited there to depart for the United States.
The journalist Varian Fry arrived in Marseille. He represented the Emergency Rescue Committee. He aimed to help intellectuals and political figures escape France. Fry gathered a team at Villa Air-Bel. Writers like Victor Serge and André Breton stayed there. They created the “Jeu de Marseille.” This was a game inspired by the Tarot of Marseille. The villa was destroyed in 1986 and a housing project replaced it.
Today, La Pomme is a lively area. About 18,000 people live here. La Pomme is also served by bus and tram lines. The Marseille-Toulon railway crosses La Pomme. La Pomme station connects Marseille and Aubagne. La Pomme is a mix of history, culture, and modern life.