Ste Marthe Mairie Du 13 14th arrondissement

Sainte-Marthe district

The Sainte-Marthe district of Marseille is located in the city’s 14th arrondissement, to the south of the Étoile mountain range, surrounded by the Arnavaux, Saint-Barthélemy and Merlan districts. This residential district is home to a wealth of historic buildings worth exploring. Between the residences and the green spaces, some of the monuments are open to the curious, while others have been transformed to make way for a genuine spirit of solidarity, such as Après M, a former McDonald’s sign that has been revamped by volunteers offering a range of services to help people in need. On market days, the stalls take over in the morning, perfuming the streets with exquisite scents. You’ll find fresh, local produce in the colours of the South. A stroll through Sainte-Marthe will take you to the heart of one of the town’s historic districts.

History of a green, residential district

The Sainte-Marthe district takes its name from the ancient village of Sainte-Marthe on the edge of the Étoile massif. Local history tells us that Saint Martha stopped off in the village on her way to the Sainte-Baume, giving her name to the village, and later to the district when it became part of the commune of Marseille. Over the years, the local landscape has changed, with farms, housing estates, secondary schools, low-cost housing and a military camp. The district is crossed by the Canal de Marseille and the railway line linking Aix-en-Provence to Marseille, and there is still a station where the TER trains between Marseille and Aix make regular stops. In order to develop the housing supply in the district, a rehabilitation and development project has been set up in the area, taking into account environmental issues and the expectations of local residents. Traffic lanes have been created, as well as a public park and new accommodation.

Places of interest in Sainte-Marthe

Sainte-Marthe is a district famous for being the birthplace of Paul Ricard, inventor of the famous Pastis Ricard. His former home, Château Ricard, still holds an important place here, as does the company’s national headquarters. As well as this veritable institution, Sainte-Marthe is home to other local emblems such as the Sérail soap factory, one of the last remaining soap factories in Marseille.

A stroll through the district will also take you to the church of Sainte-Marthe, perched on a hill to the north of the district, the fountain of Sainte Marthe, where the Saint is said to have stopped for a drink when she passed through the village, and the Tour-Sainte estate, home to the Montgolfier bastide, which is listed as a Historic Monument and will be much appreciated by nature lovers thanks to its park, home to the Tour du Pin organic and educational farm. The estate is also notable for its 30-metre-high Immaculate Conception tower.

You can also discover the Sainte-Marthe military camp, which dates back to 1915, when the Army General Staff acquired land at the start of the First World War. Chosen for its strategic location close to the port and the railway line, it comprised several buildings, including a main building known as the château, a chapel, a cinema and a hotel with swimming pool, some of which were destroyed.

How to get to the Sainte-Marthe district?

You can get to Sainte-Marthe by public transport. Bus lines 27, 28 and 31 run from the nearby city centre and 13th arrondissement, as does the TER line between Marseille and Aix-en-Provence. If you have a car, you can reach the district by taking the D4 trunk road, which links the northern and eastern districts of Marseille, or the A507 (L2) motorway.

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