Saint-Antoine district

A district of the 15th arrondissement

Formerly known as Les Baumes, Saint-Antoine is located in Marseille’s 15th arrondissement. Its neighbours are La Viste (to the south), Verduron (to the west), Notre-Dame-Limite (to the north) and Les Borels (to the south). The communes of Pennes-Mirabeau and Septèmes-les-Vallons also border the district. Nestling at an altitude of 150 metres, the Saint-Antoine district takes its name from a community of Antonine monks, members of the Saint-Antoine Hospitaller Order, who settled there several centuries ago. Today, the church dedicated to Saint Anthony the Great remains.

Since 1849, the Canal de Marseille has carried water from the Durance, providing the energy needed by the first lime factories. Located to the north of the city of Marseille, Saint-Antoine was historically the main exit point from the city between the old Route Nationale 8 (Route d’Aix) and the old Route Nationale 113 (Route de Salon). The A7 motorway also bypasses Saint-Antoine, making the area particularly busy. Saint-Antoine currently has a population of around 8,000.

The Saint-Antoine district is made up of several distinct entities:
– The traditional village centre on thePlan d’Aou (‘upper plain’)
– The church, separated from the plateau by the valley of the Aygalades stream
– A hill on the side of the Etoile massif, close to the Tuves valley

Marseille’s rappers Soprano and Alonzo are of Comorian origin and come from the Saint-Antoine neighbourhood, more specifically the Plan d’Aou housing estate. They were members of the French hip-hop group Psy 4 de la rime with Vincenzo and DH Sya Styles, formed in 1995. The group was originally called KDB (Kids Dog Black). The singer Jul, who is well known in Marseilles, regularly refers to the Saint-Antoine district and its main avenue (although he does not come from there at all).