Natural heritage

2 hectares of green spaces in the heart of Marseille

An integral part of the monument's history alongside its architecture and memory, the natural heritage of the fort Saint-Nicolas refers to its gardens, the rocky outcrop on which it was built, and the fauna that inhabits it. With the aim of restoring the site in a virtuous manner and in accordance with regenerative principles, the Citadelle de Marseille has chosen to give the natural ecosystems of the fort the same attention as that given to the buildings and people.

Its green spaces, located on the north and west facades, alongside the rocky outcrop, have never been landscaped as they were intended to serve their purpose as military glacis, i.e., a slope slowing down enemy attacks. Their low vegetation has thus been left wild, promoting the maintenance of a biodiversity typical of the massifs of the Calanques, to which inputs from neighboring ornamental plants have been associated. Transformed and degraded by human activity, particularly the soils of the site, are affected by heavy metal pollution resulting from military practices (bombing, weapon storage, and vehicle parking).

Thus, since 2022, the Citadelle de Marseille has been working alongside the Population Environment Development Laboratory of Aix-Marseille University and ecologist Isabelle Lafont-Schwobb on the implementation of nature-based solutions for pollution management and soil regeneration: bioremediation.

Natural heritage is also a focus of creation and research, inviting artists in residence to share the challenges and tools of ecological engineering research.

Landscape design of the north gardens

The Citadelle de Marseille has thoughtfully planned the landscaping of the north gardens, which are part of an Area of Enhancement of Architecture and Heritage (AVAP), taking into account the numerous preservation imperatives it faces:

Respecting the reading of the historic monument and therefore selecting plants whose size is compatible with the landscaped areas.
Using plants compatible with climate transition.
Selecting plants whose functionalities help manage soil pollution in urban areas.
Ensuring landscaping compatible with the presence of the public and its uses.
Transmitting to all users of the site the care for preservation and restoration.

This landscaping differs from the traditional approaches found in classified monuments by this claimed approach of considering the soil as equally important as the built environment.

Alongside the various actors, production workshops, and research laboratories present on the site, artist Louise Nicollon des Abbayes was invited to transpose the modes of scientific, anthropological, and plastic investigations associated with her personal practice of ceramics, experienced notably on the materiality of Marseille's industrial landscapes, to open them up to the singularity of the site. She thus created a ceramic model of the site and its memory, in the manner of an orientation table. It will be the subject of an installation in the gardens of the Citadelle.

Bioremediation

Is a set of solutions involving the use of microorganisms, fungi, or plants to restore an environment altered by contaminants to its natural, biologically healthy state.