Fort Saint-Jean, Marseille

Fort Saint-Jean, established in 1660 by Louis XIV at the mouth of the Old Port in Marseille, is a formidable fortification. The construction of the fort involved the integration of two pre-existing structures: the twelfth-century Commandry of the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John of Jerusalem, which once served as a monastic hospice during the crusades, and the fifteenth-century tower of René I, King of Provence.

In April 1790, Fort Saint-Jean fell into the hands of a revolutionary mob who beheaded the commander of the royal garrison. During the subsequent French Revolution, the fort was transformed into a prison, where it held prominent figures such as Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, along with two of his sons, Louis-Charles, Count of Beaujolais, and Antoine Philippe, Duke of Montpensier. Tragically, after Robespierre's overthrow in 1794, approximately a hundred Jacobin prisoners imprisoned within the fort were brutally massacred.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Fort Saint-Jean remained under the ownership of the French Army, serving as a barracks and clearing station for the Army of Africa. However, during World War II, the fort fell under German occupation in November 1942. The liberation of Marseilles in August 1944 saw the fort suffer immense damage when a munitions depot exploded, severely impacting its historic battlements and structures.

Recognized as a historical monument in 1964, the damaged sections of Fort Saint-Jean were meticulously reconstructed between 1967 and 1971. Today, it stands as the home of the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations, preserving its rich history for generations to come.