Fort Saint-Jean (Marseille)

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Fort Saint-Jean

Fort Saint-Jean is a fortification in Marseille, built (with fort Saint-Nicolas, sited the other side of the entrance to the Old Port) in 1660 by Louis XIV. Louis remarked on their construction "We have notice that the inhabitants of Marseilles strongly hold the pretty bastides - we wish to have the entry to this great port for ourselves." ("Nous avons remarqué que les Marseillais prisaient fort les jolies bastides. Nous avons voulu avoir la nôtre à l'entrée de ce grand port."). In effect, the two new forts were built against a rising by Marseille itself, rather than for defence - their cannons point towards the town, and not towards the sea to defend the city.

During the French Revolution it acted as a prison, holding Philippe Égalité and two of his sons Louis-Charles and Antoine Philippe.