The Prefecture

Birth of the Prefecture Project

In the 19th century, Napoleon III was in power. At that time, as a senator, Charlemagne-Émile de Maupas decided to inform the emperor about the situation in Marseille: while the city was developing, its prefect, Olympe Besson, was slowing down this progress.

The prefect seemed not to realize what the senator was explaining to him. It would take his visit with Empress Eugénie to the Phocaean city in September 1860 to realize that the incompetence of the Prefect was worrying. The emperor then dismissed Olympe Besson from his duties and replaced him with de Maupas. His mission was to modernize the city's aging infrastructure. Immediately appointed, the new Prefect launched the construction of a new Prefecture to replace the current one, which had become much too small. The old Prefecture was then located in the current Lycée Montgrand.

The construction of the new Prefecture

The construction of the new Prefecture began in 1862 and was completed in 1866. It is therefore a monument that is part of the large wave of construction of public buildings in Marseille under the Second Empire.

De Maupas enlisted the departmental architect Auguste Martin to oversee its realization. The chosen location was on the route of the city's old ramparts built in 1669. This was not without its problems due to the instability of the ground. The last stone was finally laid at the end of 1866, and the inauguration took place on January 2, 1867. For the record, Prefect Maupas was relieved of his duties by an Emperor's decree shortly before the inauguration. The official version is that it was due to health problems, but the unofficial version is that De Maupas was spending too much. However, De Maupas had fulfilled his mission by leaving his mark on Marseille's history.

In 1871, a "Commune" was proclaimed in Marseille and the prefecture was taken by the Marseille Communards, flying the red flag. When the army recaptured the square, the building was only slightly damaged.

During the liberation of Marseille, the Prefecture was occupied by the Allies and bombed by the Germans as fighting broke out in the city. Finally, it was from the balcony of the prefecture that General De Gaulle addressed the crowd in September 1944.

Architecturally, inspiration was largely drawn from the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. Built on 7500 m², the prefecture has two interior courtyards and a garden. The building is designed to be functional for the operation of a high administration. In a Napoleon III style, it has all the necessary amenities: reception rooms, residence for the prefect, his family, and his collaborators. The furniture is art objects from the First and Second Empires.

The Prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône today

You won't be able to miss this monumental building, 90 meters long and 80 meters deep, which is located in the extension of the famous rue Saint Ferréol (the main pedestrian shopping street in the city). The interior decoration has been carefully chosen to reflect all the Napoleonic power and the extravagance of Prefect de Maupas.

The Prefecture Hotel has been listed as a historical monument since 1979.

Even today, the Prefecture Hotel remains one of the most beautiful buildings of the Third Republic. As you stroll towards rue St Ferréol, you can admire the Prefecture and understand the magnitude of this Marseille monument.

Why not consider renting a bike or a Segway to explore Marseille in a fun way? Did you know that the Little Train of Marseille allows you to discover the city on 2 different routes? The departure point and ticket office are located on the Old Port.