Between sky and water, at the entrance to the Old Port of Marseille, the Mucem is the Museum of European and Mediterranean civilizations. Open to the sea, this museum is a great project for the Mediterranean, a meeting point for its two shores: the north and the south. The singularity of Mucem is to trace, analyze and illuminate, in the same spirit and in the same place, the ancient bases of this basin of fertile civilization, as well as the tensions that cross it, even in the contemporary era. A museum that is also a place of dialogue and exchange around the questions of the past, present and future.

In his exhibitions and in his cultural program, it proposes a multidisciplinary vision that combines anthropology, history, archeology, history of art and contemporary art, in order to show the facets of a Mediterranean in permanent dialogue with Europe.

The Mucem is a set of three sites spread over almost 45,000 m2. On the waterfront, at the entrance to the Old Port, the J4 building – the emblematic architectural gesture of Rudy Ricciotti and Roland Carta – and the Fort Saint-Jean – a completely restored historical monument – perfectly embody the project with their two bridges. to establish a hyphen between the two shores of the Mediterranean. They host important exhibitions and events of the museum’s artistic and cultural program. On the city side, in the Belle de Mai neighborhood, the Center for Conservation and Resources houses the museum’s collections. At the entrance of the Vieux Port, the Fort Saint-Jean looks like a fortified village to be discovered in the most evocative ways, through a historical path between towers and ramparts, a botanical walk … A footbridge connects it to the Panier district and acts as a trait -d’union between the historic center and museum.Overlooking the sea, the J4 – a cube-shaped structure lined with an elegant concrete lacing – is one of the symbols of the new face of Marseille. Connected to the Fort Saint-Jean by an impressive suspended walkway, this marvel of technique is striking for its strong aesthetic impact and the breathtaking views it offers.

The museum’s goal is to promote Mediterranean heritage, take part in the creation of new exchanges in the region and, during this period of profound upheaval, help to lay the foundations for the Mediterranean world of tomorrow. In Marseille, the Mucem is a place where, on both a national and an international scale, people can come to gain a better understanding of the Mediterranean.