Overview

The Palais Longchamp - designed by architect Espérandieu - was built in conjunction with the construction of the canal in 1839. The arrival of water from the Durance in 1849 allowed the town to supply the new districts to the east.Today, the waterfalls, ornamental lakes, fountains and numerous sculptures give this enchanting place an Italian Renaissance feel. Housing Marseilles' Fine Arts Museum in its left wing and the Natural History Museum in the right, this watery palace - a masterpiece of the Second Empire - commemorates and unites the glory of water, the arts and the sciences under one magnificent roof.