Beneath the vibrant hum of Marseille exists a street with a tale as old as time: Rue Saint-André. This street in the 16th arrondissement has witnessed centuries of change. It is named after Saint André. Legend says the cross he was crucified on was found at the Abbey of Saint-Victor. It was erected here in the 11th century. A church was dedicated to the saint.
Saint-André was once known as Séon-Saint-André. This former village became an industrial hub in the 19th century. Clay quarries and tile factories thrived here. After World War II Saint-André faced economic hardship. Today it is a residential area.
In 1820 Séon-Saint-André was a slope with a stream. There was a hamlet and an old church. By 1862 a new urban area was built around two boulevards. A factory shaped this development for 30 years.
The Martin brothers’ factory played a key role. It created boulevards like Martin and Grawitz. Boulevard Labro was named after a resistance fighter. It used to be named Martin after the factory owner. This boulevard housed tile factory workers. The factory’s industrial growth was rapid. In 1842 Séon had 60 tile factories and 700 workers. By 1872 there were 94 factories and 1800 workers.
The Martin brothers bought land to build houses for sale. They helped fund the new church. They also built a girls’ school and an asylum with terracotta decorations. In the 1880s Alexis Grawitz took over the factory. He created a crèche for female workers called “Maison des Œuvres”. The factory siren regulated daily life. Shops opened at 5 am following the siren’s schedule.
In 1829 François Marcellin and Anne Sacoman owned a vineyard here. By 1833 it had become a factory with 189 doors and windows. Ange-Guillaume Martin a pottery maker bought the land. He established a factory and a landing stage. In 1844 he patented the flat tile. By 1855 it was a steam-powered tile factory.
The factory got permission to install a 15-horsepower steam engine. The Martin brothers used a tile model from Alsace. They acquired the patent around 1844. They also got permission to place a steam boiler. This powered presses and lifting machines. In 1865 they were authorized to continue their tile and brick factory. They were allowed to build two new kilns.
In 1873 Henri Martin was authorized to build a large brick kiln. In 1902 the factory was owned by Société Générale des Tuileries de Marseille. It burned down in 1920. It was rebuilt and named Joseph Fenouil. In 1922 the tiles still carried the Martin brothers’ butterfly logo. The factory was finally demolished in 1985.
During World War II the factory made ceramic rockets for the German army. After the war architect F. Pouillon used the rockets to build barracks. In 2011 the Ancrages association studied the tile workers’ history. They focused on Italian Kabyle and Senegalese workers.
Today Saint-André is home to notable buildings. The Saint-André-Condorcet elementary school was built in 1952. The École des Sœurs a former school is now a municipal building. The Maison des Œuvres served as a community center and theater. Bastide “l’Émilienne” was the Martin family’s home.
Rue Saint-André is more than just a street. It is a testament to Marseille’s industrial past. It is also a vibrant residential neighborhood. This street’s story echoes through time. It connects the past with the present.