Gazing down Rue d’Entrecasteaux, it’s hard to imagine this bustling street once lay beneath the shadow of a mighty fortress. Rue d’Entrecasteaux owes part of its name to Fort d’Entrecasteaux, the upper part of the imposing Fort Saint-Nicolas. King Louis XIV, the Sun King himself, ordered its construction in 1660. He aimed to quell any rebellious spirit brewing within Marseille and solidify his royal authority. The task fell upon the Chevalier de Clerville, who chose a strategic location at the entrance to the Vieux Port. The fort, initially called Citadel Saint-Nicolas, included a lower section extending towards the port. This powerful structure, built atop a rocky spur, was meant to “forever maintain the authority of the king.” The construction was swift, completed in just four years, a testament to the king’s urgency and power. Fort Saint-Nicolas, with its pink stone walls, stood as a symbol of monarchic power, overlooking Rue d’Entrecasteaux and the city below. Over the centuries, Fort Saint-Nicolas has played many roles. It has served as barracks, a prison, even an ammunition depot during World War II, which led to severe damage from an accidental explosion. The fort was divided in 1862 by a boulevard, now Boulevard Charles Livon, separating the upper and lower sections more definitively. The upper fort, Fort d’Entrecasteaux, took its name from a French navigator, while the lower section became Fort Ganteaume, named after a vice admiral. Today, although the military presence is gone, the legacy of Fort Saint-Nicolas, and its connection to Rue d’Entrecasteaux, remains. The street, once overshadowed by the fort’s walls, now thrives with life, a silent tribute to the city’s resilient spirit and its complex history.
Rue Callelongue
A hidden paradise at the end of the world. That’s Callelongue. Callelongue isn’t just a street it’s a journey. A