Fort Saint-Jean (Marseille) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Saint-Jean |
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| Marseille, France | |
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 Fort Saint-Jean
Fort Saint-Jean
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| Coordinates | 43°17′43″N 5°21′43″E / 43.2953°N 5.3619°E |
| Type | Fort |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Museum |
| Controlled by | France |
| Open to the public |
Special occasions |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1660 |
Fort Saint-Jean is a strong fort in Marseille, a city in France. Louis XIV, a French king, had it built in 1660. It stands right at the entrance of the city's old harbor, called the Old Port. Since 2013, two bridges connect the fort to the old Le Panier area and to the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations. This museum was the first big French national museum built outside of Paris.
History of Fort Saint-Jean
Fort Saint-Jean was built where an old military group, the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John, once had their buildings. The fort got its name from them. At the same time, Fort Saint-Nicolas was built across the harbor.
King Louis XIV said he built these forts because the people of Marseille "loved nice fortresses." But actually, the forts were built to control the city. Their cannons pointed inward towards the town, not outward towards the sea. This was because of a local uprising against the governor.
Two older buildings became part of the fort. One was a twelfth-century building from the Knights Hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem. This building was like a hospital during the crusades. The other was a fifteenth-century tower built by King René I of Provence.
In April 1790, during the French Revolution, a group of revolutionaries took over Fort Saint-Jean. They captured the fort's commander, chevalier de Beausse, who refused to give up. He was killed during this event. The fort was then used as a prison. Important people like Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, and two of his sons were held there. In 1794, after a leader named Robespierre was overthrown, about a hundred prisoners in the fort were killed.
Through the 1800s and early 1900s, the French Army used Fort Saint-Jean. It served as a place for soldiers to live and as a stop for the Army of Africa. For many years, the French Foreign Legion was based in North Africa. Fort Saint-Jean was the last stop for new recruits before they went to Algeria for training.
During World War II, German soldiers took over Fort Saint-Jean in November 1942. In August 1944, when Marseille was being freed, a storage area for weapons inside the fort exploded. This explosion destroyed many of the fort's old walls and buildings.
After the war, the fort was given back to the French Army. But it was left unused and in bad shape. In 1960, it was given to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was named a historical monument in 1964. The damaged parts of the fort were rebuilt between 1967 and 1971.
In 2013, Fort Saint-Jean became part of the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM). The main buildings in the fort complex now have special uses:
- The tower of King René tells the history of the fort.
- The DRASSM building holds a center for documents and research.
- The Georges Henri Rivière building is used for special temporary art shows.
Gallery
See also
In Spanish: Fuerte Saint-Jean (Marseille) para niños
