Following the royal edict on “the confinement of the poor and beggars” in 1640, the City of Marseille decided to build the Vieille Charité. It was finally completed in 1670 by Pierre Puget, the king’s architect and a native of the Marseille area. Today, the Centre de la Vieille Charité houses several cultural structures such as the Musée d’Archéologie Méditerranéenne and the Musée des Arts Africains, Océaniens, Amérindiens (M.A.A.O.A). It is also home to temporary exhibitions and a cinema, Le Miroir. The whole complex is managed by the Marseille city museums department.

Getting There

BUS
Line 49 – La Major stop / Line 55 – Sadi Carnot stop.

TRAM
T2 République Dames stop / T3 Sadi Carnot stop.

METRO
M1 Colbert stop / M2 Joliette stop.

Parking

Paid parking at the Phocéens lot.

Dining

Open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, the Charité Café offers bar and food services (salads, daily specials, sandwiches, desserts, drinks) to take away or eat in.

Archaos