Musée d'histoire de Marseille

This large museum devoted to the history of Marseille adjoins an archaeological garden where the remains of the ancient Greek and Roman port were uncovered during construction work. Its galleries trace the city's founding by Greek settlers through its Roman era and medieval growth, drawing on artefacts recovered from the harbour. A preserved ancient shipwreck is among the highlights, shown in a climate-controlled hall. Beside a busy shopping centre, it links the everyday city directly to its two-and-a-half-thousand-year-old origins.