Didn’t Napoleon once say that the ignorance of principles has presided over their design? This brings us to the Ancienne batterie. It is a historic site near the Calanque de Callelongue.
The Ancienne batterie once associated with others. It worked alongside the batteries des Croisettes and de la Calanque de Marseilleveyre. Together they stopped corsairs. They prevented them from entering the Calanque de Callelongue.
Interestingly the stones from this Ancienne batterie have an afterlife. They were used to build houses. These houses stand in the Calanque de Marseilleveyre. It is a reminder that history is always being recycled.
But there is another layer to uncover. Above the Ancienne batterie lie older traces. Up in the hills vestiges of a much older fort remain. They are well-preserved perhaps thanks to their higher location.
Why was the Ancienne batterie called Escalette? The area got its name from the Provençal word “escaleto”. It means the small mobile staircase. It helped the watchman of a lookout access his post. A network of these posts once encircled Marseille. But the exact location of the Escalette lookout is not known.
During World War II, the Ancienne batterie served a different purpose. German troops used the fort. They bombarded Aubagne. That town saw the French and American liberation forces arrive. The Germans used three 400 mm naval batteries.
Today little remains of the Ancienne batterie. Yet its story connects to the bigger narrative. It shows Marseille’s long history of defense. It is a blend of naval strategy and local life. The site also illustrates reuse and adaptation over centuries. This is all part of the city’s story. The Ancienne batterie is a testament to Marseille’s ever evolving story.