Here stands a pyramid in Marseille. It is not from Egypt. It is the Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne. This strange monument has a story. It is a tale of family tragedy and exiled royalty.
The Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne is a mysterious monument. It stands in Marseille’s eighth arrondissement. The pyramid is six meters tall. Dominique Bastide built it around 1809. He was a rich merchant from Marseille. Bastide owned the Château du Roy d’Espagne. The château is gone now.
The area got its name from Charles IV. He was the King of Spain. Napoleon defeated him. Charles IV was dethroned in 1808. He was forced to live in France. Charles IV lived there for three years.
Bastide built the Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne as a family tomb. It was to hold his son’s body. Later his wife was to join him. The bodies were moved later. They now rest in Saint-Charles Cemetery. Then they were moved to Saint-Pierre Cemetery.
The Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne’s entrance is bricked up. You cannot go inside. A beautiful pine forest surrounds it.
Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign made pyramids trendy. Dominique Bastide wanted one in his garden. The Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne became that pyramid. The château is no longer there. But this unusual pyramid is still here. It sits in Marseille’s eighth arrondissement. Graffiti and wild plants cover it. For a long time, it was neglected.
The residents of Roy d’Espagne are proud of the Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne. They maintain it. Yet it was never a listed historical monument.
Is the Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne haunted? Some say they see a white lady. Others see scary shadows. The story of the Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne is tragic. Dominique Bastide’s son died young. He was only two years old. The merchant decided the pyramid would be his son’s final resting place. Later, his wife was also buried there. In 1950, their bodies were moved. They were moved to Saint-Pierre cemetery.
Dominique Bastide became broke and sad. He left his château. Napoleon took over Spain. He removed the King. The French emperor ordered King Charles IV to live there. Charles IV was in exile in France. He stayed from 1808 to 1812. That is how the area got its name. Egyptology and French history mix here.
The Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne is made of limestone. It is six meters high. It is covered in mystery. It intrigues the people of Marseille.
So here stands the Mausolée du Roi d’Espagne. It is a monument to family loss. It is a reminder of a king in exile. The pyramid remains. It watches over Marseille.