Fort Saint-Jean (Marseille) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Saint-Jean
Marseille, France


Fort Saint-Jean Show map of Marseille Fort Saint-Jean Show map of France
Coordinates	43°17′43″N 5°21′43″E / 43.2953°N 5.3619°E / 43.2953; 5.3619
Type	Fort
Site information
Owner	Museum
Controlled by	France
Open to the public	Special occasions
Site history
Built	1660

Fort Saint-Jean is an old fortress in Marseille, France. It was built in 1660 by King Louis XIV right at the entrance to the city's Old Port. Since 2013, the fort has special bridges that connect it to the historic Le Panier area and to the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations. This museum was the first national museum in France to be built outside of Paris.

History of Fort Saint-Jean
Images for kids
See also

History of Fort Saint-Jean

Fort Saint-Jean was built on a very old site. Before the fort, there was a place used by the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John. This group was a military and religious order. The new fort got its name from them. At the same time, Fort Saint-Nicolas was built on the other side of the harbor.

Why the Fort Was Built

King Louis XIV said he built the forts because people in Marseille loved fortresses. But the real reason was different. The forts were built after a local uprising against the governor. Their cannons actually pointed towards the city, not out to sea. This showed they were meant to control the city's people.

Older Buildings Inside the Fort

Two older buildings became part of Fort Saint-Jean. One was a twelfth-century building from the Knights Hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem. This place was like a hospital during the crusades. The other was a fifteenth-century tower. It belonged to René I, who was King of Provence.

The Fort During the French Revolution

In April 1790, a group of revolutionaries took over Fort Saint-Jean. The commander of the royal soldiers, chevalier de Beausse, was captured and died. During the French Revolution, the fort became a prison. Important people like Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, and two of his sons were held there. After a leader named Robespierre was overthrown in 1794, many prisoners in the fort died.

Fort Saint-Jean as a Military Base

For many years, from the 1800s to the mid-1900s, the French Army used Fort Saint-Jean. It was a place for soldiers to live and a stop for the Army of Africa. If you wanted to join the French Foreign Legion, which was mostly in North Africa, Fort Saint-Jean was often your last stop before training in Algeria.

World War II and Restoration

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 badly damaged 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. The fort was named a historical monument in 1964. The damaged parts were rebuilt between 1967 and 1971.

Fort Saint-Jean Today

In 2013, Fort Saint-Jean became part of the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM). Several important buildings within the fort are now used by the museum: