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Origin and history

La Maison du Figaro is a building designed in 1675 by architect Pierre Pavillon and designed by Jean-Claude Rambot, as part of the enlargement of Marseille after the destruction of the medieval ramparts. Located at the corner of the Canebière, the Cours Saint-Louis and Rue des Racolettes, it was part of a larger set of thirteen spans, of which only five remain today. The architectural order, imposed on the owners of the time (Mme de Cauvet, M. Bourgarel and M. Bonefay), was designed by Mathieu Portal, responsible for the urban extension after Gaspard Puget.

In 1860, the northern facade was amputated when the Canebière was enlarged, with a first span being removed to create a large avenue linking the Reformed to the Old Port. The facade was redone in cement by Désiré Michel to mark the introduction of modern techniques. Seven more spans disappeared later to give way to a reinforced concrete building, reducing the original set to five spans on the Cour Saint-Louis.

In 1867, the installation of the Grand Bazar Figaro on the ground floor gave its current name to the building, nicknamed Maison du Figaro after more than seventy years of commercial activity. During World War II, the building was requisitioned by the Vichy regime after the deportation of its Jewish owner, Mr. Hermann. Occupied by the French People's Party, he was attacked by the Resistance in 1944. At the Liberation, he became the property of the Public Assistance, then was acquired by the city of Marseille in 1993 to install his communication services.

Classified as a historic monument since 6 December 1949, the House of Figaro is now managed by the cultural association Espaceculture. Its facades and roofs, protected, bear witness to the Baroque architecture of the 17th century, marked by Corinthian pilasters and a strict ordinance. The history of the building reflects the urban transformations of Marseilles, from the major Haussmannian works to the upheavals of the 20th century.

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