The 2nd arrondissement of Marseille is located north of the Old Port. The 2nd district covers the oldest part of Marseille, including the neighborhood Cart. There remains little city of the Middle Ages: part was destroyed during the construction of the street of the Republic in the 19th century . Among the old buildings preserved are the Maison Diamantée, the Hôtel-Dieu and the Vieille Charité. The north quay of the Old Port, on which the Hôtel de ville de Marseille is located, was rebuilt after World War II by the architect Fernand Pouillon.

The north of the district is home to the new port of Marseille, open to the xix th century, and the business district of Joliette – Arenc, built from the 1990s as part of Euroméditerranée and where particular lie docks and the CMA-CGM tower. The J4, south of the port of Joliette, has hosted since 2013 the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations and the Villa Méditerranée.

Districts
The sectors and districts of Marseille are intra-municipal administrative divisions that share the territory of Marseille. The city is thus divided into eight sectors and sixteen municipal districts.

These municipal districts should not be confused with the departmental districts, which are another type of administrative subdivision at the departmental level. In France, the municipalities of Lyon and Paris are also subdivided into municipal sectors.

2nd arrondissement of Marseille is divided into four official districts: Arenc, Les Grands Carmes, Hôtel de Ville and La Joliette. It forms, with the 3 th district, the II th sector, much of which is part of the urban renewal project Euroméditerranée.

Arenc
Arenc is a district of the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille which contains the ferry terminal.

In Occitan, Arenc designates a place where there is sand (arena, in Occitan). Indeed Arenc was, before the construction of the Autonomous Port of Marseille, the place where the Marseillais met to go to the beach.

The Arenc district is today at the heart of the Euroméditerranée project, declared an operation of national interest, which transforms this former industrial district into a large tertiary center.

Les Grands-Carmes
The Great Carmelite is a neighborhood of 2nd arrondissement of Marseille, which is named after the Great Carmelite convent. It contains part of the unofficial Panier district and the rue de la République.

Hôtel-de-Ville
The de-Ville Hotel is an administrative district of Marseille (France) on the north side of the Old Port, in the 2nd district. In this district are located the town hall of Marseille, the Hôtel-Dieu. It is in this administrative district that the Panier district is included. The Saint-Jean district, which made up most of it before the Second World War, was dynamited in 1942 by the German authorities.

Its Occitan name (La Lòtja), which in this language designates the administrative establishments of the Phocaean municipality, is found in the name of “rue de la Loge”.

La Joliette
La Joliette is a neighborhood of 2nd arrondissement of Marseille located north of the Old Port and Shopping. This district is at the center of the Euroméditerranée project, which aims to create a business center.

According to a very tenacious legend, the name of La Joliette comes from Julius Caesar (Julius) who, during the rivalry with Pompey, had established his camp in this district. In reality, it seems that the district owes its name to a property located there under the Ancien Régime.

Places of interest

Le Panier
Cart designates a district Marseille located in the 2nd district, divided between three administrative districts: Hôtel-de-Ville, The Great Carmelites and La Joliette. The north shore of the Old Port is the oldest part of the historic settlement site of the Greek colony of Massalia in 600 BC. AD. The narrow streets that can be found there always remind us that it is the oldest part of the city despite the destruction of a large part of these districts in the 19th century when the Rue de la République was opened and then in the 20th century, during the blasting by the German authorities in February 1943 from the Saint-Jean district, historic heart of Marseille. Today, the Basket is the only part preserved. From the second half of the 19th century, these districts became the gateway for immigrant populations to Marseille, especially Italians, Corsicans and then Maghrebians. In recent years, under the effect of the rehabilitations and the establishment of cultural places, the Panier has become a tourist district, notably with the Euroméditerranée project.

Diamond House
The Diamantée house (former hotel of Saboulin Bollena) is a building in Marseille located just behind the town hall, in the town hall district. It now houses the headquarters of the organizing association of Marseille Provence 2013, European capital of culture. It owes its name to the appearance of its facade which is covered with stones cut in points: prismatic boss. The facade and the staircase have been classified as historical monuments since the November 10, 1925.

Old Charity
The Old Charity, located 2, rue de la Charité, in the heart of the Panier district in the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille, in the official area of the Great Carmelites, is a building built in the 17th century, the plans Pierre Puget to shelter the needy and the poor of the city. It corresponds to the Marseille implementation of the “great confinement” that Michel Foucault highlighted in his famous History of Madness in the Classical Age (1962). Hospice is representative of the architecture of the 17th century, especially because of the presence of the chapel Puget and his ovoid dome. Gradually losing its vocation to the end of the xix th century, it was close to extinction in the 1950s, only occupied by poor people living in miserable conditions. The chapel and the hospice have been classified as a historical monument by decree of January 29, 1951. The whole, having undergone a major renovation in the years 1960 to 1980, is today one of the many cultural

Built in pink and white stone from the crown quarry, the Vieille Charité complex consists of four building wings closed to the exterior and opening onto a rectangular courtyard by galleries on three levels which punctuate the life inside the building. It is a large building whose four wings are arranged in a rectangle of 112 × 96 m, with exterior walls without windows. The body of these buildings is made up of three floors of superimposed galleries with semicircular arcades opening onto an interior courtyard of 82 × 45 m.

In the center of this quadrilateral, in the axis of the front door, is a chapel topped with an elliptical dome in the best Baroque taste. The porch with Corinthian columns, in the Second Empire style, takes up the theme of Charity welcoming needy children, surrounded by two pelicans who feed them. It was built between 1861 and 1863 by Blanchet, architect of the hospices of Marseille.

Cathedral of Saint Mary Major of Marseille
The Cathedral of the Major or Sainte-Marie-Majeure Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Marseille. La Major was built in a Neo-Byzantine style between 1852 and 1893 on the plans of the architect Léon Vaudoyer. Located in the district of Joliette in the 2nd district, it stands on an esplanade between the Old Port and the port of Joliette, on the site of the old cathedral of the xii th century, hence the coming Occitan name for “Major”. Its architecture and interior decoration, in marble and porphyry, give it a particular aspect for a religious building. It was erected as a minor basilica by Leo XIII the January 24, 1896.

The Cathedral of the Major has a length of 142 meters; the towers of the portico are 60 meters high; the nave rises to 20 meters; the central dome rises to 70 meters for a diameter of 17.5 meters. The choir is surrounded by a very long ambulatory bordered by radiating chapels. Its dimensions can accommodate 3,000 people.

The exterior facades and the different heights of the roofs reflect very well, by their divisions, the various interior volumes, further underlined by the presence of turrets which act as a separation for each part of the building. The exterior and interior facades are treated in bands with alternating polychromy: Cassis stone and Florence green marble for the exterior, warm colors for the interior. This use of stones and marbles in different colors makes it unique, but not necessarily classic. The outer facade is flanked by two towers topped with domes. Overhanging the vault of the porch, which precedes it, runs an arched gallery connecting the two towers. Under the arches, we can see a row of seven tall statues representing Christ in the center surrounded by the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as Lazarus – who would have been, according to legend, the first bishop of Marseille – and his companions (his sister Marthe, Maximin, Marie-Madeleine), legendary saints of Provence. On the square stands the statue of Monsignor de Belsunce, who stood out during the last great plague epidemicthat France experienced, the plague of 1720.

The vault of the porch is covered with blue and gold mosaic inspired by the mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna. The internal faces of this porch are occupied by the monumental statues of the holy bishops of Marseilles of the first times, grouped by three. The tympanum surmounting the triple arch of the archivolt has a rose window in its center, accompanied by the stylization, in mosaic, of the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. On the tympanums of the doors are sculpted in marble, in the center: The coronation of the Virgin by Guillaume; to the east: The symbol of the Resurrection; to the west, L’agneau mystique and La fontaine de vie by Brémond.

Three enormous bays constitute the main nave. It is covered by groin vaults, the transept crossing and the choir by five domes, the first on a horn with an octagonal drum open with twin semicircular bays, the others on pendentives. The rise is punctuated by numerous marble columns. Built on piles where stone and marble alternate their red and light ocher tones, they are lit by groups of three high arched windows with stained glass windows with non-figurative decoration. The side naves, pierced in the thickness of the piers, carry the galleries supported by a triple arcade resting on monolithic columns in porphyry with capitals.of marble carved with foliage. The marble balustrades support bronze candelabra. The multicolored mosaic pavement of the Venetian school is remarkable for the originality of its designs. One can admire, in the third bay, the group sculpted by Auguste Carli representing Véronique wiping the face of Jesus fallen to the ground.

50 meters long, the transept gives access by steps, to the ambulatory which surrounds the choir, separating it from the two large side chapels. At its center, at the crossroads, the four monumental arches support the central dome mounted on horns, thus passing from the square plan to the octagon. The walls on eight sides are lit by eight twin semicircular windows placed in arches framed by columns with carved capitals surmounted by a rose window, thus providing light at a height of 60 meters. At each arm of the transept, a dome of lesser importance accompanies the entrance to each side chapel. At the four angles formed by each enormous pile, are placed the monumental statues of the four evangelists by the Marseille sculptor Louis Botinelly

Seven steps lead from the transept to the sanctuaries. In the center, the main altar in Carrara marble, decorated with mosaics by Henri Antoine Révoil, is housed under a ciborium with a bronze dome supported by four onyx columns from Tunis, a gift from the marble maker and sculptor Jules Cantini. The altar is placed under the middle courtyard which illuminates the presbyterium, furnished with stalls and the organ. On each side, on the left, you reach the Chapter chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart, and on the right, the Saint-Lazare chapel devoted to Sunday worship for the faithful of the district.

It bypasses the sanctuary and serves six apsidal chapels, two of which have received their mosaic covering and their decoration with polychrome marble. It gives access in its middle to the axial chapel which alone forms an autonomous building, with its narthex, its nave and its apse surmounted by its dome on horns decorated with angel busts. Primarily dedicated to the Virgin, this chapel currently houses the tomb of Saint Eugene de Mazenod (1837 – 1861), bishop of Marseille and founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, missionaries present in five parts of the world, canonized by Pope John- Paul II the December 3, 1995.

Port terraces
The Terrasses du Port is a shopping center in the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille, counting 171 shops. The building has a 2,600 m2 balcony offering a view of the port of Joliette, hence its name. The roof of the sea-side building resembles the hull of an ocean liner. Passenger boarding areas have been retained on ground floor. On the terrace, orientation tables inform visitors about the flora and fauna of the surroundings. The building was designed by architect Michel Pétuaud-Létang in collaboration with the 4A Architects firm and the Ingérop and Barbanel design offices. The project, which cost 466 million euros 3, is financed by the group English Hammerson

Docks
The Docks of Marseille are a series of five buildings, formerly warehouses and today hosting offices and shops in the district of Joliette in Marseille. The docks were built from 1858 to 1864 according to the English docks model, and consist of five buildings of seven floors for a total length of 365 meters. The rehabilitation works started in 1992. The Docks of Marseille are open on October 10, 2015 and inaugurated on December 4, 2015.

Place de la Joliette
The Place de la Joliette, at the foot of the docks of Marseilles, is in the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille.

Hangar J1
Hangar J1 is located in the heart of Marseille, in the Joliette district. It was built in 1923 by the Eiffel company to respond to the strong port activity.

Long abandoned, it finds a second life within the framework of the Euroméditerranée program, and more specifically on the occasion of the Marseille Provence 2013 event, with a cultural vocation and several exhibitions. Beyond 2013, the future of the building, owned by the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille, was uncertain for a long time. It is the subject of a call for projects which gave its verdict in January 2019, the J1 hangar will be renamed “La Passerelle” and from 2023 will host various activities (leisure, events, hotel complex, etc.).

Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations
The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations is a national museum located in Marseille, France. The museum is devoted to European and Mediterranean civilisations. With a permanent collection charting historical and cultural cross-fertilisation in the Mediterranean basin, it takes an interdisciplinary approach to society through the ages up to modern times.

The museum is built on reclaimed land at the entrance to the harbour, next to the site of the 17th-century Fort Saint-Jean and a former port terminal called the J4. A channel separates the new building and the Fort Saint-Jean, which has been restructured as part of the project. The two sites are linked by a high footbridge, 130 m (430 ft) long. Another footbridge links the Fort Saint-Jean to the Esplanade de la Tourette, near the church of St Laurent in the Panier quarter.

The museum, built “of stone, water and wind”, was designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti in collaboration with the architect Roland Carta. A cube of 15,000 square metres (160,000 sq ft) surrounded by a latticework shell of fibre-reinforced concrete, it houses exhibits on two levels, with an underground auditorium seating 400. The permanent collection and bookshop are situated on the ground floor. There is a restaurant on the terrace at the top of the building with panoramic views of the bay of Marseille, the Corniche and the Prado.

Mediterranean Villa
La Villa Mediterranean is a public building in the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille, on the esplanade of the J4, in the district of Joliette (perimeter Euroméditerranée). It was intended to house conferences, meetings and exhibitions.

The building, designed by the Italian architect Stefano Boeri, belongs to the regional council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur with the aim of “giving everyone the keys to understanding the contemporary Mediterranean”. The building, which has continued to focus criticism, was inaugurated on April 7, 2013 and closed in january 2018; it should reopen in 2022, housing a replica of the Cosquer cave.

Marseille
Marseille is the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur in France. It is located on the Mediterranean coast near the mouth of the Rhône. Marseille is the second largest city in France, covering an area of 241 km2 (93 sq mi) and had a population of 870,018 in 2016.

Marseille has a complex history. It was founded by the Phoceans (from the Greek city of Phocea) in 600 B.C. and is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Marseille is the second largest city in France in terms of population. Its population is a real melting pot of different cultures.

From colourful markets (like Noailles market) that will make you feel like you are in Africa, to the Calanques (a natural area of big cliffs falling into the sea – Calanque means fjord), from the Panier area (the oldest place of the town and historically the place where newcomers installed) to the Vieux-Port (old harbor) and the Corniche (a road along the sea) Marseille has definitely a lot to offer.

Marseille is now France’s largest city on the Mediterranean coast and the largest port for commerce, freight and cruise ships. The city was European Capital of Culture in 2013 and European Capital of Sport in 2017; it hosted matches at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2016. It is home to Aix-Marseille University.