Château Borély, Marseille, France

The Château Borély is a chateau in the southern part of Marseille. The chateau was built in the eighteenth century for Louis Borély (1692-1768), a rich merchant of Marseille. It was donated to the city in the nineteenth century. For several years it hosted the archaeological museum. The chateau is located in the current Parc Borély.

Closed to the public, restored, then reopened in 2013, Château Borély has a rich cultural history. The many owners of the bastide have allowed him, over the centuries, to acquire a very large cultural background. Indeed, the castle has seen many lovers of art, fashion, or reading. Little by little, the place was enriched with knowledge and artistic and cultural passion.

The cultural destination of the place is therefore ancient. After a period during which the place, which became the property of the City, hosted the collections of Egyptian art in particular, then briefly the exhibitions of the Regards de Provence Foundation, Château Borély was closed to the public in 2003. The site underwent extensive renovation and development work to reopen in 2013 on the occasion of the European Capital of Culture Year. The Château now houses the Museum of Decorative Arts, Earthenware and Fashion. Today, the bastide is classified as a historical monument.

The central part of the estate of 54 hectares of origin is transformed into a racecourse and then into a park (public garden) in 1864. For years, everything has been designed to make visitors feel the guests of honor of the place. We still find today, the racecourse with in its center a golf course and a large park, the Borely Park. This vast park of 18 hectares around the Castle offers the visitor, since the end of the nineteenth century, the enchantment of a very orderly “French style” garden, with straight alleys and pools of water and a landscaped park called à l’anglaise with a more wild and natural look around an inland lake. Rose garden, waterfall, botanical garden, children’s games decorate this park.

References:

Marseille Tourisme

User Reviews

Iryna Maltseva (2 years ago)
A great place and collection ???????

Stanimir Dimitrov (2 years ago)
The Château Borély is a chateau in the southern part of Marseille, France. Associated with Borély park and Marseille Borély golf course, it has been listed as a historical monument since 1936, and has housed the Museum of Decorative Arts, Earthenware and Fashion since Marseille-Provence 2013[3] with its rich original decor.

joyce .. (2 years ago)
This charming stately home has been turned into a museum. The setting is so beautiful. I paid €6 to see the temporary exhibition as the permanent exhibition is temporarily not available. The magnificent high quality objects are all well preserved with clear interpretation. There is even a little chapel in the former residence. Everyone of the staff said good morning to me. Very nice of them.

Gayan Liyanaarachchi (2 years ago)
Good place for a quick stroll. Take not you are not allowed to use DSLR cameras without a prior permission.

Elodie PRADON (2 years ago)
Brilliant & Beautiful ! I was walking through the botanical borely park, and discovered this paradise of design & beauty. Free entrance. Both floor are really stunning!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.

Château Borély

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople