Marseille Hôtel de Ville

Marseille Hôtel de Ville is a city hall from 1656, located adjacent to the idyllic Vieux Port harbor.

The city hall, with a great location on the right-hand side (coming from city center) of the old harbor, was completed 1656, built in a Baroque style, typical for late 17th century.

However, the city’s administration and representatives of the inhabitants have met here from Middle Ages, originally at the “Maison de Ville” buildings.

PHOTO: Marseille city hall, as seen from Quai du Port, as part of the Vieux Port harbor.

PHOTO: A closeup of Hôtel de Ville’s balcony section, with flags for Marseille, France, and European Union.

Today, the building contains offices for Marseille’s mayor, municipal, and regional administration.

The city hall was part of new constructions in the city initiated by ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV, and the building was also a symbol for the city’s emerging political power.

Although it is not certain who designed the building, most historians consider the building a handwork of Mathieu Portal and brother’s Gaspart and Pierre Puget.

One of the unique features in the building was that it was designed to physically separate merchants (to the entrance level rooms) from city administrators (to the first floor).

This design is why the entrance to the first floor is from a separate footbridge, located behind the building.