Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Natural History Museum of Marseille (MHNM) was founded in 1819 by the Marquis de Montgrand, mayor of the city, and the Count of Villeneuve-Bargemon, prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône. Originally installed in various places such as the Chapel of Bernardines or a Masonic lodge, it was permanently established in 1869 in the right wing of the Longchamp Palace, designed by architect Henri-Jacques Espérandieu. This iconic building, shared with the Museum of Fine Arts, symbolizes the alliance between arts and science under the Second Empire.

The collections of the Museum, rich in 83,000 animal specimens, 200,000 plants and 81,000 fossils, are divided into four thematic rooms: Safari (naturalized animals), Provence (local fauna and flora, with frescoes classified as historical monuments), osteology (skelelets), and prehistory (evolution). The room of Provence, decorated with paintings by Raphaël Ponson (1869) and recently restored, illustrates the museum's attachment to its artistic and scientific heritage.

The Museum played a key role in research, notably with the discovery in 1986 of Delcourt's giant gecko in its collections, allowing the description of this extinct species. Between 1883 and 2013, he published scientific journals (Annales du Muséum, Mesogée) and celebrated his bicentenary in 2021 with three thematic books. Ranked Musée de France in 2002, he remains a major player in the diffusion of natural sciences, under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education.

His story is marked by influential conservatives such as Antoine-Fortuné Marion (1880–1900) or Michèle Duron-Dufrenne (1985–2003), and technical figures such as taxidermists Pierre and Jules Siépi, directors of the associated zoological garden. The museum regularly organizes temporary exhibitions, conferences and educational workshops, part of the national network RECOLNAT for the preservation of naturalist collections.

The aquarium installed between 1974 and 1988 on the ground floor, as well as the paintings by Jean Francis Auburtin (1899) on the stairs, testify to his museum evolution. Today, some rooms (such as Terre du vive or Provence) are being renovated, but the Museum continues to showcase its heritage, between the 19th century heritage and contemporary biodiversity issues.

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