Memorial heritage
If the fort Saint-Nicolas is primarily known for its position as a fortification erected against the inhabitants and as a symbol of central power, it is also present in the memory of many Marseillais for many other reasons. Primarily built to house garrisons, many soldiers, and later civilians, have stayed there. Thus, from its construction in 1660 until the insertion projects through the restoration by the ACTA VISTA association from 2002, thousands of people have traversed it, worked there, been housed, imprisoned, judged, betrayed, monitored, defended, plundered, experimented, killed, celebrated, restored, commemorated: they have composed the plural history of an essential monument in the city's history.
In parallel with the history of the stones and construction, witnesses to the technical developments in architecture and artillery as well as usage, the memorial heritage bears witness to the trajectories of those who have crossed it and allows us to consider the fort Saint-Nicolas not only as a fortification or barracks but also as a place of life, confinement, research, or espionage. This memorial heritage, carried by experts, enlightened amateurs, and archived testimonies, is, concerning the 20th and 21st centuries, mainly held by descendants of detainees, former soldiers, employees, or scientists and is subject to memory collection.
The writing and participatory valorization of this memorial heritage are part of the scientific and cultural project of the Citadelle de Marseille.
Memory collection
As attentive to the architectural history as to the memory of the men and women who have crossed the fort Saint-Nicolas, the Citadelle de Marseille has initiated since 2023 a memory collection process accompanied by the writer Valérie Manteau.
This process is part of the creation axes of the artists' residencies and in the project of opening a historical interpretation center on-site.
In order to contribute to the writing and shared interpretation of Marseille's history by its inhabitants, the memory collection is addressed to all Marseille residents with a connection, direct or indirect, to the fort Saint-Nicolas, without hierarchy of importance: former detainees and their families, military personnel, maintenance workers, delivery drivers, doctors, scouts, to name just a few. It is part of the scientific and cultural project of the site and the affirmed ambition to write the history of the fort with those who have experienced it or carry its memory.
Discover the history of the armed forces health and veterinary service from 1978 to 2011
If you have a story related to the fort Saint-Nicolas, we want to hear it!
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