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Marseille: The Cradle of the Crosswinds

At the Old Port, time and space meet and collide

Feu de la digue Sainte Marie, Marseille, 2024

Marseille’s Old Port is a fundamental site for understanding the cultural and historical dynamics of the Mediterranean. Since its birth, it has been a centre for maritime trade linking Europe, North Africa and elsewhere. Its role fostered the emergence of a multicultural, cosmopolitan society, where economic exchanges were accompanied by cultural, technological and linguistic transfers.

View of the Calanque de la Vesse bay, Marseille, 2024

In the Middle Ages, the port became a hub of Mediterranean trade, thanks in particular to its links with the Italian cities of Genoa, Pisa and Venice. But this period also saw the arrival of various communities (Greek, Jewish, Armenian) that enriched the city’s cultural fabric. Port urban planning adapted to these interactions, with the construction of warehouses, docks and defence infrastructures such as Fort Saint-Jean and Fort Saint-Nicolas.

Vieux-port (The Old Port), Marseille, 2024

The modern era (XVI-XIX centuries) was marked by the intensification of trade with the New World and the industrialisation of the port. Marseille became a major migratory crossroads. This diversity was reflected in the city’s cultural practices, gastronomy and social organisation.

It’s fair to say that, even today, the Old Port retains its role as a meeting place and cultural melting pot. 

MUCEM and Cathédrale La Major (The Cathedral of La Major), Marseille, 2024
MUCEM, Marseille, 2024
Tour du Fanal, Marseille, 2024
Feu de la digue Sainte Marie, Marseille, 2024
Fort Saint-Jean, Marseille, 2024
Palais du Pharo (Pharo Palace), Marseille, 2024
View of the Calanque de la Vesse bay, Marseille, 2024
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Letizia Goretti

Letizia Goretti has a Ph.D. in Visual Culture from the Università Iuav di Venezia, and a Doctor Europaeus in partnership with the Université Paris… More »

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