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Origin and history

The Saint-Sauveur cellars are a Gallo-Roman underground building located under the Place de Lenche, in the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille. Classified as a historical monument in 1840, they are located in the former Abbey of Saint-Sauveur, founded in the 9th century and destroyed after the Revolution. Their structure, composed of large pink limestone walls, suggests dating between 150 B.C. and 50 A.D., confirmed by archaeological excavations in 1977.

Described from the 17th century by historian Louis Antoine de Ruffi as a set of nine underground caves, these caves aroused the interest of scholars. In the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Grosson and the Count of Villeneuve-Bargemon saw public baths or a Roman barracks, respectively. Their exact function remains debated: tanks for water supply during the seats (such as Jules César) or warehouses for foodstuffs and naval equipment, hypothesis reinforced by an inscription mentioning dendrophores (carpenters).

In the 19th century, Prosper Mérimée classed them as antique stores, but their preservation was threatened by partial destruction, especially in 1943 during the reconstruction of the neighbourhood after the Second World War. The excavations of 1977 reveal their support role between two platforms at different levels: a higher square (present Lenche square) and a lower paved square. Their architecture, comparable to the Greek ramparts of the Jardin des Vestiges, makes it a rare testimony of ancient Marseille urbanism.

Today, the cellars are no longer visible, filled under the school of Notre-Dame de la Major. Their study remains limited to historical descriptions and brief archaeological interventions, emphasizing their importance despite their partial disappearance. Their early classification (1840) shows their recognition as a major vestige, although their preservation has been compromised by successive urban developments.

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