Massilia. Marseille.

Title

Massilia. Marseille.

Description

Beautifully coloured view of the city of Marseille, today the capital of the Bouches-du-Rhône département and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is the second largest city in France.

ca. 1650

Artist

Merian (1593-1650)

Matthäus Merian (1593 – 1650) , born in Basel, learned the art of copperplate engraving in Zurich and subsequently worked and studied in Strasbourg, Nancy, and Paris, before returning to Basel in 1615. The following year he moved to Frankfurt, Germany where he worked for the publisher Johann Theodor de Bry. He married his daughter, Maria Magdalena 1617. In 1620 they moved back to Basel, only to return three years later to Frankfurt, where Merian took over the publishing house of his father-in-law after de Bry's death in 1623. In 1626 he became a citizen of Frankfurt and could henceforth work as an independent publisher. He is the father of Maria Sibylla Merian, who later published her the famous and wellknown studies of flowers, insects and butterflies.

Historical Description

Today, Marseille is the second largest and oldest city in France. Marseille is the most important French and a major European port city on the Mediterranean. According to ancient legend, the city was founded when Greek sailors from Phocaea explored the Mediterranean coast. Greek sea traders from Phocaea in Asia Minor regularly visited the southern coast of France near the mouth of the Rhone in the 7th century BC to trade tin and bronze with the Ligurian tribes in return for pottery and jewelry. Sheltered landing places were rare on the rugged and rocky coast, so they headed for the natural harbor of today's Marseille, where the galleys were protected from wind and waves. According to Herodotus, immigrants from Phocaea arrived in the city again around 545 BC. They had fled after Harpagos, general of King Cyrus II of Persia, had conquered Phocaea. There were repeated conflicts with the Celtic tribes dominating Gaul and in 125 BC Massalia called on the troops of the Roman Empire for help against attacks by Gallic tribes. The city remained part of the Roman Empire until its end and gradually lost its Greek character. At the beginning of the 5th century AD, the Saint-Victor monastery was founded on the south bank of the Old Port, which was to be the residence of the bishops of Marseille from 750 to 960. The city was fought over several times and fell to different ruling empires. Marseille became an independent republic around 1218, but was incorporated into the French crown in 1481. In 1575, it was handed over to Henry III. In 1660, Louis XIV withdrew Marseille's liberties and the city became a normal maritime and trading town. The people of Marseille had always been proud and independent and were known throughout the country for their willingness to rebel against the authorities and the king. In 1792, the city sent 500 volunteer fighters to support the new government during the French Revolution. The song sung by the Marseille fighters in the streets of Paris became known as the Marseillaise. On July 14, 1795, the Marseillaise was declared the French national anthem.