Palais du Pharo

The Palais du Pharo (French pronunciation: [palɛ dy faʁo] Occitan: Palais del Pharo) is a palace in Marseille, southern France, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, west of the Old Port (Vieux-Port). It was built in Second Empire style by Emperor Napoleon III for Empress Eugénie, starting in 1858. However, at the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, the building had just been finished. Nowadays, the palace and its gardens are used for events, with the park open to the public. In 2025 it became a monument historique, celebrating its significance in local heritage.

Text adapted from “Palais du Pharo” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Palais du Pharo ranks #1,640 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #127 of the 524 mapped in France. Founded 1858, it is older than 8% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 607 atlas entries founded in the 19th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 5,966 times in the last 60 days, more than 87% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Marseille, 2 km away. See how France compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗