Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations

Marseille, France

The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (Mucem) is a national museum located in Marseille. It was inaugurated in 2013. The museum is devoted to European and Mediterranean civilisations. With a permanent collection charting historical and cultural cross-fertilisation in the Mediterranean basin, it takes an interdisciplinary approach to society through the ages up to modern times.

The museum is built on reclaimed land at the entrance to the harbour, next to the site of the 17th-century Fort Saint-Jean and a former port terminal called the J4. A channel separates the new building and the Fort Saint-Jean, which has been restructured as part of the project. The two sites are linked by a high footbridge, 130 m long. Another footbridge links the Fort Saint-Jean to the Esplanade de la Tourette, near the church of St Laurent in the Panier quarter.

The museum, built 'of stone, water and wind' was designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti in collaboration with the architect Roland Carta. A cube of 15,000 square metres surrounded by a latticework shell of fibre-reinforced concrete, it houses exhibits on two levels, with an underground auditorium seating 400. The permanent collection and bookshop are situated on the ground floor. There is a restaurant on the terrace at the top of the building with panoramic views of the bay of Marseille, the Corniche and the Prado.

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Founded: 2013
Category: Museums in France

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Alok Aditya (3 months ago)
This museum is a great place to learn about the Mediterranean history. It has old building and new building. The architecture is blend of history as well as modernity. Entry to museum is free. Few galleries are paid. Overall a must visit place in Marseilles.
Andy Reynolds (5 months ago)
A large museum with several varied exhibitions on Marseille, the Mediterranean and Europe as a whole. Thousands of items are grouped into different themes in a way that can be a bit overwhelming and bewildering. It must be a challenge to know how to curate such a variety of objects, pictures, sculptures and text. The modern building is almost surrounded by water and is wrapped in a wonderful ‘net’. Walkways wrap around the building and bridges link it to the older fort next door where the exhibitions continue. The whole experience of the building is wonderful with incredible views of the building itself, the Mediterranean Sea and of Marseille. Gardens, walkways and resting points have been created throughout both buildings and the whole thing is really successful. There are small cafes on the ground floor and on the roof with a very high end restaurant on floor 3.
Heather Barksdale (5 months ago)
What a quirky museum! Reasonably priced, including the exhibitions (well worth the extra if you are looking for a more traditional museum with exhibits). We bought tickets at the counter. Visa or Mastercard only. The highlight of this place is the view! Set in an old fort, there's still a lot of the stonework left untouched, and like I said...the views! There's a lot of stairs and a steep ramped climb to get in, but inside the exhibit building are escalators to go up. We went to all 5 exhibits: pop culture, natural (they mean naked, not outdoors...fair warning!), antiquities, modern art, and a little sports section (don't miss some famous objects in the front with tiny signs indicating previous ownership by Pele, Cassius Clay, or Princess Diana.) Not a lot of original pieces, but still a good visit. Multiple language translations on the placards was also nice. The top floor of this building looks like a modern bird cage and hosts a café with drinks, coffee, sandwiches , etc. It was HOT the day we went, and the exhibits are the only part indoors and with air conditioning, so if you need a break from the heat, the extra cost was worth it!
anthony scott (6 months ago)
This is an architectural delight, blending modern with the historic. If you only want to view the museum buildings and access the old fort via the bridge, you don't need to pay anything. If you want to access the exhibits you will need to pay, but it is not too expensive. The exhibits had a lot of variety, one dedicated to the nude form in art, one for pop culture, one that blended Mediterranean history with modern influences, and one that was just a random collection of modern art. None of the exhibits were that interesting, but the pop culture one was kind of fun for me and my 8 year old daughter. The kids area says that is for kids up to 11, but it's really targeted for kids under 5.
Chaitali Mandal (6 months ago)
Visited MUCEM in Marseille last weekend and it was awesome! The architecture is super modern and blends so well with the historic Fort Saint-Jean. The exhibits were diverse and really engaging—loved learning about Mediterranean cultures and history. The views from the rooftop were stunning, perfect spot for some great photos. The cafe had some tasty snacks too. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Marseille! It is free to enter as well!
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