Regarding the Ch\u00e2teau de la Buzine, what if its walls could speak of Marcel Pagnol? This 19th-century castle in Marseille owes its fame to him. He mentioned it in his childhood memories. He even owned it for a time.
The Ch\u00e2teau de la Buzine stands south of Les Camoins. It is in Marseille’s 11th arrondissement. Today, the city of Marseille owns the property. It is now called “La Maison des Cinématographies Méditerranéennes”. This translates to The House of Mediterranean Cinematography.
Let’s step back to the 14th and 15th centuries. The Diodé family owned this vast estate then. It stretched from Saint-Menet to Les Camoins. In 1667, Henry de Buzens named it “La Buzine”.
Fast forward to 1865. Pierre-Hilaire Curtil purchased the estate. He was an architect and entrepreneur from Marseille. Curtil demolished the old country house. He built the current castle on its foundations. The style is eclectic. It resembles Eugène Viollet-le-Duc’s work. The Marseille canal allowed for a park with rare trees. There were also basins and fountains. The total area was about 40 hectares.
Curtil sold La Buzine in 1869. The buyer was Victor Régis, a shipowner. In 1941, Marcel Pagnol bought the estate. He planned to create a “City of Cinema”. This would include film sets and workshops.
However, the German army requisitioned the Ch\u00e2teau de la Buzine the following year. They used it as a rest home for German sailors during the occupation. Later, various military groups occupied it. After some time, Spanish refugees lived there. The building became unhealthy after they left.
Pagnol sold the estate in 1973. In 1991, an association formed. It aimed to save what remained of the Ch\u00e2teau de la Buzine. The city of Marseille bought it four years later. It was listed as a historical monument.
In 2001, Marseille launched a restoration competition. Stern International won. After renovations starting in 2006, the building reopened.
Today, the Ch\u00e2teau de la Buzine houses a cinema with 350 seats. There is also an exhibition hall. A library contains film-related books.
Marcel Pagnol wrote about the castle in “My Mother’s Castle”. In the story, a young Marcel mistakenly believes the castle has ten floors. He also exaggerates the number of balconies.
The restoration project was launched by the City of Marseille in 2001. Architect Andr\u00e9 Stern said the project connected to his past. He called it an intimate encounter. Stern noted “We all have genes of Marcel Pagnol”.
The Ch\u00e2teau de la Buzine now holds a prominent place in Marseille’s cultural scene. It offers shows, concerts, and workshops. It is a landmark in the Huveaune valley. It also impacts the surrounding hillside villages. The Ch\u00e2teau de la Buzine stands as a testament to cinema. It embodies the enduring legacy of Marcel Pagnol.