The Port-Miou cove, located east of Cassis, is distinguished by its rich history, combining nature, industry, and heritage.
🏛️ A strategic natural harbor
Protected from the winds, Port-Miou has served as a refuge for ships since ancient times. Its name derives from "Portus Melior," meaning "the best harbor." In 1376, Pope Gregory XI found shelter there during a storm en route to Rome.
🪨 Cassis Stone Quarrying
Since ancient times, the cove has been quarried for its limestone, used in structures such as the quays of the Suez Canal and the Rove Tunnel. This stone, renowned for its strength, has shaped the local economy for centuries.
🏭 The Industrial Era with Solvay
In 1896, Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay established a quarry in Port-Miou to extract limestone for the production of caustic soda, essential to the Marseille soap industry. Between 6 and 7 million tons of rock were extracted before the quarry closed in 1981.
Cassis
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🏰 Port-Miou Castle
Built to house the quarry staff, Port-Miou Castle is today a vestige of this industrial era. It now houses the marina harbor master's office and occasionally welcomes the public.
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🌿 A Natural Reclamation
After the cessation of industrial activity, nature gradually reclaimed its rights. The cove is now part of the Calanques National Park, offering a preserved setting for boaters and hikers.
Port-Miou thus embodies the transformation of a natural site into an industrial area, then its reconversion into a protected area, testifying to the complex interaction between man and nature.
"He who has seen Paris without seeing Cassis has seen nothing."
Frédéric Mistral
⁉️ Did you know?
Beneath the surface, Port-Miou holds other mysteries... An underground river flows into the cove, flowing from the Sainte-Baume massif through one of the largest submerged galleries in Europe! This spring has been studied since the 18th century, and even today, it hasn't revealed all its secrets. In October 2020, a new species was even discovered there!