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URBAN GUIDE

Looking for good ideas and places? With exhibitions, festivals, concerts, shops, capsule collections, restaurants, bars and more, our Urban Guide pages tell you what's on and what's just opened. A great way to discover all the richness and diversity of the Provence culture, shopping, food and drink, from. Local creators also have their say in these pages.

February 2023

Château de la Buzine

Embassy of the art of film

Marcel Pagnol’s beloved Château de ma mère has become a major cultural and heritage asset for our beautiful region and now attracts 85,000 visitors per year.

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Construit en 1867, le château de la Buzine appartenait à l’écuyer noble Henri de Buzens.
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Steven Spielberg © Alamy – Guetty Images - Œuvre portrait : Marina - Fine Art Invest

In 1941 Marcel Pagnol acquired the imposing Château de la Buzine, nestled in the heart of a vale in Marseille’s 11th arrondissement, sight unseen. The French author and filmmaker wanted to create a film centre there – a true “Hollywood in Provence”. When he saw it, he recognised it as the chateau from his childhood holidays, when the caretaker and dog used to frighten his mother. Unfortunately the Second World War put a stop to his project. The chateau, now derelict, was all but forgotten – until it was brought back to life by the city of Marseille, which bought it in 1995, listed it as a historic monument and had it renovated along with its five-hectare estate by Stern International. It reopened in 2011 as the home of the Maison des cinématographies de la Méditerranée (Mediterranean Centre for Cinematography). Epitomising the dynamic film scene in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, its renaissance was part of the preparations for Marseille-Provence 2013, European capital of culture. Since then the chateau has been the location for multiple film and photo shoots. The La Cité du Cinéma exhibition space immerses visitors into the history of film, while the cinema offers a series of film-concerts and screenings for the general public. There is also a media library dedicated to the arts on the first floor, with a space for young people. The library houses photographs of the chateau and its occupants dating from the beginning of the past century. The top floor features a display relating to Marcel Pagnol’s life and some of his work, together with a reconstruction of a period classroom. The renowned cultural centre and heritage property also organises a rich programme of temporary exhibitions, shows, literary events, conferences, creative workshops and classes, as well as themed dinners in the chateau that showcase the cuisine of Provence

56 traverse de la Buzine, Marseille 11e

Tél. 04 91 45 27 60

 

Steven & Spielberg

De l'ordinaire à l'extraordinaire

Prochainement - Le Château de la Buzine consacre sa nouvelle exposition au réalisateur iconique, Steven Spielberg, le génie du 7ème art !

By Mathilde Hingray

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