Centre de la Vieille Charité

The Centre de la Vieille Charité is a 17th-century almshouse in the Panier district of Marseille, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. Designed by the architect and sculptor Pierre Puget and built to house the city's poor, it is a quadrangle of pink-stone arcaded galleries surrounding a large courtyard and a baroque chapel with an oval dome. After centuries of varied use it was restored and reopened as a cultural centre, and it now contains the Museum of Mediterranean Archaeology, the Museum of African, Oceanic and Amerindian Arts, a cinema and a cafe. The courtyard is the principal draw. Three tiers of arches on three sides frame the chapel at the centre, and the warm stone glows in afternoon light, so photographers often start with the central view from the entrance. The archaeology museum holds collections that include Egyptian antiquities, while the arts museum displays pieces from Africa, Oceania and the Americas. Temporary exhibitions are held on the upper levels. A visit takes about one and a half to two hours, split between the museums and a pause in the courtyard cafe. The centre is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00AM to 6:00PM and closed on Mondays except Easter and Whit Monday, and on 1 January, 1 May, 1 and 11 November and 25 December. The ticket desk closes 30 minutes before closing time. The courtyard and permanent collections are free according to the city listing, and temporary exhibitions cost between EUR 3 and EUR 12, with free entry for visitors under 18. Weekday mornings are usually calm. The site is reached on foot uphill from the Vieux-Port in about 10 minutes or via Metro to Joliette, and it makes a natural stop on a walk through the Panier's lanes and street art.