Old Charity Hospital

Old Charity Hospital

The Old Charity Hospital is located in the heart of the Le Panier district, Marseille's historic old town in southern France. Built between 1671 and 1749, it originally served as a hospice and now functions as a museum and cultural center open to the public, attracting many visitors.

The Old Charity Hospital was designed and built by architect Pierre Puget, featuring an overall Baroque architectural style. It includes houses with three levels of arcades around the perimeter and a central oval-shaped chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its main structure is rectangular, measuring 112 meters in length and 96 meters in width. The surrounding walls are made of light pink or light yellow stone from ancient quarries, with no outward-facing windows. The arcaded houses together form an inner courtyard that is 82 meters long and 45 meters wide, with the domed chapel located in the center.

Currently, the ground floor of the Old Charity Hospital houses the Museum of Mediterranean Archaeology, which displays Oriental and Classical artifacts as well as local Ligurian archaeological items. The second floor is home to the Museum of African, Oceanian, and American Art, primarily showcasing rare artifacts such as masks from Mexico and West Africa, human skulls from South Africa, and shrunken heads. Additionally, the site includes an archaeological research library, the Institute of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, and offices of the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

La Vieille Charité

Why go: One of Marseille’s most comprehensive museums

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: France[France]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region [Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region]

City where the attraction is located: Marseille [Marseille]