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Key figures

Origin and history

The Episcopal Palace of Marseille, located on Rue du Commissaire-Divisionnaire-Antoine-Becker in the 2nd arrondissement, was built in 1648 under the impulse of the bishops Étienne de Puget and Toussaint de Forbin-Janson. This building, whose facades and roofs have been protected since 1978, replaces several earlier episcopal palaces, including a 5th century paleo-Christian building revealed by a mosaic discovered in 2008 near the Cathedral of the Major. This mosaic, adorned with peacocks and acanthes, symbolized the prestige of the Marseille bishop in front of his peers in Arles or Aix-en-Provence.

In the Middle Ages, the episcopal palace was near the ramparts, incorporating a so-called "Jewish" tower and enlarged in 1337 by Bishop Jean Gasc. Destroyed in 1524 during an imperial attack, he was replaced by private residences until Bishop Arthur d'Epinay of Saint-Luc obtained in 1621 a royal land for a new palace. The works, financed by the transfer of the jurisdiction of Saint-Marcel to Marseilles, were completed under Toussaint de Forbin-Janson. The palace was embellished in 1736 by Bishop Henri de Belsunce, before being confiscated from the Revolution.

Now a national, the palace was restored to the bishopric in 1822 after costly repairs. The law of 1905 led to the expulsion of Bishop Andrieu in 1906, and in 1908 the National Police settled there. In 1950, a modern building designed by René Egger was added to meet the growing needs of police services. Today, it is still known as the "Évêché", and it is home to the central police station in Marseille, although its old age may lead to a move in the 2020s.

The architecture of the palace combines a 17th century central body, redesigned in the 19th century by Henry Espérandieu during the construction of the Cathedral of the Major, and a modern extension. The monumental gate with curved pediment, the English courtyards and the facades treated in thickness with between-columns reflect its stylistic evolution. Ranked for its external elements, it bears witness to the urban and political transformations of Marseille, from the Ancien Régime to the present day.

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