Once a wild untamed river Le Jarret carved its path through Marseille’s landscape. From its source high in the Étoile massif it flowed south-west. Imagine the ancient Château de Ners overlooking this entrance to Marseille’s territory. Now mostly ruins the castle once stood proudly. Le Jarret’s journey wasn’t easy. Its narrow winding valley offered little space. Only the road to Trets dared to follow.
For almost ten kilometers few houses lined its banks. Then Le Jarret entered Allauch. It passed through neighborhoods like La Fève La Bourdonnière and Le Logis-neuf. It continued its course into Marseille near Croix-Rouge. Here the river faced a challenge. The Malpassé neighborhood literally “bad passage” describes a narrow spot. The river squeezed between the Saint-Just hill and the eastern plateau.
Originally Le Jarret curved west near the Chartreux church. It emptied into the Old Port. But by the late tenth or early fourteenth century this changed. The river was diverted south. It took its present course joining the Huveaune River.
In 1954 Mayor Gaston Defferre saw Le Jarret as an open sewer. He decided to cover it. This transformed the river. A new urban roadway replaced it. The Rocade du Jarret now forms a vital artery. It consists of the Jean-Moulin Sakakini Françoise-Duparc and Maréchal-Juin boulevards. It was later expanded south to the Huveaune River. This was done along with the construction of the Marseille Metro’s Line 1.
Today Le Jarret isn’t a river but a major thoroughfare. It underwent a huge renovation from 2017 to 2021. Wider sidewalks and a two-way bike path were added. Several lanes for cars remain. However one lane is now reserved for public transport. While hidden beneath the city Le Jarret’s history shapes Marseille’s present. It’s a reminder of how a city adapts and transforms its environment. The river’s legacy endures even though it runs underground.