25 Interesting Facts About Marseille, France

Facts on Marseille to Learn All About It

Ready to learn all about Marseille?

Facts are one of the best ways to learn more about something, and I personally love to read them! I’ve put together for you quite a bit of facts on Marseille; I’ve split them in 4 categories:

• The best Marseille facts
• Marseille fun facts
• Marseille facts for kids
• General Facts of Marseille

Let’s dive in straight away with our first category!

The Best Marseille Facts

The first part gathers general facts, mostly historical facts about Marseille but also interesting facts about the city.

1. Marseille is the second largest city of France

While the first French city that comes to mind is Paris, Marseille is quite large on its own and it’s a main stop in any itinerary through France. 

As a city, it’s the second largest one in the country, with more than 860,000 people, which is still very far from the 2,100,000 Parisians.

2. Marseille is the oldest city in France, and was founded more than 2,600 years ago

This one is possibly one of the most interesting of all Marseille history facts.

First called Massalia, Marseille was founded by Greek mariners in the 7th century BC.

This means that Paris, at the time called Lutetia, was only laying its first stone, while Marseille was already a thriving and renowned village.

3. There were human inhabitants where Marseille stands in the Prehistory

You already know it, Marseille is pretty old for a French city. It’s filled with history and has a unique culture.

However, there is evidence the area was already inhabited during Prehistory… 30,000 years ago!

4. The Château d’If is a famous castle off the coast of Marseille, and it was commissioned by King Francis I

You might know the Château d’If, a stone castle on the Île d’If, a small island off the coast of Marseille.

It used to be a prison, and was originally commissioned by King Francis I to defend the coast, though it was never attacked.

5. Marseille, and especially the Château d’If were featured in Alexandre Dumas’ masterpiece, “The Count of Monte Cristo”

If you have never been to Marseille, you could have heard of the Château d’If in “The Count of Monte Cristo”, by Alexandre Dumas.

The hero, Edmond Dantès, was imprisoned there, on the smallest French island (3 ha / 0.01 sq mi).

6. Marseille soap dates back to the Middle Ages, because there were lots of materials

A very important product from Marseille is soap. Throughout history and still to this day, it’s very renowned and of high quality.

Its production started in the Middle Ages, simply because there were too many raw materials, like olive oil and soda!

7. Animal fat was banned from being used in Marseille Soap… by the King!

Marseille soap business took a whole serious turn in 1688, when King Louis XIV, arguably the most important French King of history, passed the Edict of Colbert, setting the standards for the soap label.

If you used animal fat to make the soap, you would be banned from the whole region!

Statue of King Louis XIV

8. Petrol-based soaps took over the market… even in Marseille

Unfortunately, though handmade soaps were what made Marseille famous, even there, the petrol took over the market in the 1950s.

Today, there are only 5 original savonneries in Marseille. It looks like people prefer to put petrol on their body rather than 100% natural ingredients.

9. The Abbey of Saint Victor, in Marseille, had different roles throughout history

The Abbey of Saint Victor is a beautiful, historical and fortified building in Marseille.

Its role drastically changed during the French Revolution, when it became a filling station, then a prison and finally soldier’s barracks. It was back to being a basilica in 1934.

10. The Old Port was actually destroyed by the Nazis

France was very involved in World War II, and lots of its major cities were damaged or destroyed by the Nazis.

The Old Port was one of them, but it was quickly restored by Fernand Pouillon in 1948.

11. There were lots of problems in Marseille since its foundation

While it was a Roman city, there were little to no issues in Marseille, and it thrived.

However, later in history, it was successively sacked by the Visigoths, conquered by Charles Martel and got hit very hard by the Black Death.

12. Marseille is the World Water Capital since 1996

Marseille isn’t the French capital, but it’s a World Capital… for water.

The World Water Council headquarters sit in the Mediterranean city. Their goal is to “mobilize action on critical water issues at all levels”.

13. Football is very, very, very popular in Marseille

You don’t need to know anything about the city of Marseille to have heard of its mythical football club: the Olympique de Marseille.

It’s historically the most successful French football club, as it’s the only one to win the UEFA Champions League in 1993. It was founded in 1899.

The Velodrome Stadium in Marseille

And that’s it for the general best Marseille France facts. Onto the fun part!

Marseille Fun Facts

Every city has unusual and funny facts that you should know about.

Let’s discover 6 fun facts about Marseille now! 

14. Coffee was brought to France thanks to Marseille

Coffee was supposedly born in Turkey, though its precise origins are not quite clear.

It didn’t exist in France before 1644, when a ship from Alexandria brought the beverage. It was quickly exported to England and Germany and conquered Europe as a whole.

15. There is a legend that tells a giant sardine blocked the port in 1780

Unsettling and surreal legends exist all around the world, but I’ve got to say that this one from Marseille is very funny!

It’s said that a giant sardine blocked the whole port in 1780. In fact, it was a ship called “Sartine”.

16. A very deadly game of boules took place in Marseille, in 1792

Boules is a popular game from the South of France. While it’s usually very calm and slow, there was an actually deadly game in Marseille.

During the French Revolution, some people used cannonballs… near an ammunition depot. Conclusion: 38 deaths, and 200 injured persons.

17. A mayor of Los Angeles came from Marseille

This didn’t happen in recent years, but at one point in history, in 1865, there was a mayor of Los Angeles from Marseille.

Joseph Mascarel wanted to ban weapons in the city, but his mandate only lasted for a year.

18. Tips left in restaurants were first used by Paul Ricard in Marseille

Pastis is a very famous alcoholic beverage, especially popular in the South of France.

It was created in 1932 by Paul Ricard, who left a penny on every bottle, to convince restaurants to use his product.

19. There is a town called “Marseilles” in Illinois, United States

Yes, there are lots of Paris all around the world (53, actually), but even Marseille has become so famous abroad that there’s another city with its name, Marseilles, in Illinois.

Marseilles is a small town, a few kilometers away from Chicago, and is relatively calm.

So there you have them, the 6 Marseille fun facts!

It’s now time to dive a bit deeper into general and historical information, which is ideal for kids.

Marseille Facts for Kids

Every fact in this list is suited for all ages, of course.

But kids have a very special thirst for knowledge, which is why I dedicated a whole part.

20. The port of Marseille is the biggest in France

The Mediterranean Sea is home to some of the biggest and most important ports in the world.

Marseille is the biggest commercial port in France. The majority of the traffic is oil, and imports in general, while the oldest product is the Marseille soap.

21. The most famous part of Marseille is probably the “Vieux-Port”, the Old Port

The Vieux-Port is located in the center of the city, and is surrounded by the historic district.

The harbor as we know it today dates back to the 17th century, though some ruins from the 13th century can still be found.

22. Marseille is a city of culture and of education

On top of having a wonderful historical district, Marseille is also home to lots of museums, a national ballet company and an opera house.

Regarding education, you can find the Universities of Provence, the Mediterranean and Paul Cézanne.

The MUCEM in Marseille

23. Marseille is one of the most important gateways into France and sees lots of immigration

Because Marseille is such a beautiful city, with an active and important port, it will come as a surprise to no one that it’s a prime location for immigration in France.

Through the 20th century, huge waves of immigrants crashed into the city, on account of how unstable the political and economic climates were abroad.

24. Marseille is the sunniest city in France

If you love the sun, you’ll love Marseille. With over 2,900 hours of sunshine throughout the year (the French overall average being 1,950), the Mediterranean city is the sunniest city in France.

Be wary though, because summers there are very hot!

Calanques of Marseille, a popular French destination in the hot season

25. Marseille is not the birthplace of France’s national anthem, “La Marseillaise”

“La Marseillaise” is France’s national anthem. You might have heard it maybe before football games.

It was created in… Strasbourg, in the West of France, by Rouget de Lisle, and was written for the war between France and Austria, in 1792.

And we’re done with the 25 Marseille interesting facts! I hope you enjoyed them and that you learned something new today.

If you want to know more about the city, or France in general, feel free to keep reading for more facts.👇

General Facts of Marseille

You’ll find below a few general facts of Marseille, to learn more about this French city:

• Name: Marseille
• Province: Marseille
• Region: Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
• Land area: 240.62 km² / 92.90 sq mi
• Population: 868,000
• Name of inhabitants: Marseillais (French)
• Website: Marseille

Marseille Flag

More Facts!

You liked these good facts about Marseille?

Well, I have more facts about France I’m sure you’ll love reading them!

Here is the main guide of the best France facts 👉 The 60 Best Facts about France

Check out these France facts by city:

• Facts about Paris
• Facts about Lyon
• Facts about Nice
• Facts about Toulouse
• Facts about Strasbourg
• Facts about Bordeaux
• Facts about Cannes

Or these French facts by region:

• Facts about Brittany
• Facts about Corsica
• Facts about Normandy
• Facts about Guadeloupe
• Facts about French Guiana
• Facts about Martinique

You can also check these French facts by topic: 

• Facts about French food
• Facts about French people
• Facts about the Tour de France
• Facts about Christmas in France
• Facts about the French language
• Facts about French schools
• Facts about French cheese
• Facts about fashion in France
• Facts about Easter in France
• Facts about the French Alps
• Facts about Disneyland Paris

Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of them.

The Full List of 25 Marseille Facts

1. Marseille is the second largest city of France
2. Marseille is the oldest city in France, and was founded more than 2,600 years ago
3. There were human inhabitants where Marseille stands in the Prehistory
4. The Château d’If is a famous castle off the coast of Marseille, and it was commissioned by King Francis I
5. Marseille, and especially the Château d’If were featured in Alexandre Dumas’ masterpiece, “The Count of Monte Cristo”
6. Marseille soap dates back to the Middle Ages, because there were lots of materials
7. Animal fat was banned from being used in Marseille Soap… by the King!
8. Petrol-based soaps took over the market… even in Marseille
9. The Abbey of Saint Victor, in Marseille, had different roles throughout history
10. The Old Port was actually destroyed by the Nazis
11. There were lots of problems in Marseille since its foundation
12. Marseille is the World Water Capital since 1996
13. Football is very, very, very popular in Marseille
14. Coffee was brought to France thanks to Marseille
15. There is a legend that tells a giant sardine blocked the port in 1780
16. A very deadly game of boules took place in Marseille, in 1792
17. A mayor of Los Angeles came from Marseille
18. Tips left in restaurants were first used by Paul Ricard in Marseille
19. There is a town called “Marseilles” in Illinois, United States
20. The port of Marseille is the biggest in France
21. The most famous part of Marseille is probably the “Vieux-Port”, the Old Port
22. Marseille is a city of culture and of education
23. Marseille is one of the most important gateways into France and sees lots of immigration
24. Marseille is the sunniest city in France
25. Marseille is not the birthplace of France’s national anthem, “La Marseillaise”

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