PALAIS DU PHARO (AN)

Where are we? 58 Boulevard Charles Livon, 13007  

Historical and chronological situation: Second empire of Napoleon (second half of the 19th century) 

Introduction: The Palais du Pharo is a monument in Marseille, whose construction was ordered by Napoleon III to the Empress Eugenia during the second half of the 19th century. However, it currently belongs to the city of Marseille and it is used to host numerous conferences and events. 

History: At the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, the economy of Marseille began to acquire a large volume and, for this reason, policies for the construction and modernization of the existing infrastructures were necessary. Napoleon III was responsible for the development of the city and, therefore, he made numerous visits to Marseille at that time. In 1851, he decided to build a residence in the city and the councilor of the city, who wanted to thank him for everything he had done for Marseille, offered him a million francs to buy the land where he would build the palace in the future. 

Plans for the palace were presented in 1853, however the first stone was not laid until 1858. The construction proceeded very slowly, what leads to the replacement of the first architect, Vaucher, by Espérandieu. Nevertheless, the construction of the palace was completed after the fall of the empire in 1871, and therefore the imperial couple never came to live there. 

With Napoleon's death, the sole owner of the palace was the empress. However, in a very short time, the city of Marseille proclaimed the ownership of the palace and its gardens and finally, in 1884, Eugenia agreed to give the city these properties on condition that they were used for public utility purposes. In these years the palace has been used as: a hospital, a medical faculty and as the headquarter of the University of Aix-Marseille and currently it constitutes a congress center. 

Official Website: http://palaisdupharo.marseille.fr