Who we are

The Société des Amis du Mucem (Society of Friends of the Mucem) and the Mucem, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations, have been working side by side since the museum project’s inception.

With more than a thousand members –individuals, associations and companies- from Marseille, the four corners of France and around the world, the Friends of the Mucem is a privileged partner of the Museum and active in all aspects of its daily life.

The Museum

Acclaimed by the press as “one of the world’s most beautiful museums”, the Mucem opened its doors in June of 2013, the year Marseille Provence held the title of European Capital of Culture.

The first national museum to be located outside Paris, and with a rich stock of collections mainly from the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires and the Musée de l’Homme, the Mucem’s exhibits embrace the fields of anthropology, history, archaeology, the history of art and contemporary art.

An exceptional 40,000sq. -m. site with three buildings

- The exquisitely restored St. John’s Fort, dating from the 12^th century, has been opened to the public for the first time in its history. It features exhibition halls, a Mediterranean garden, a promenade, a café and the Place d’Armes, an open space able to host concerts and conferences.

- The contemporary building designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti as a “vertical casbah… protected by a sun-screen envelope resembling a mashrabiya” provides vast exhibition areas, a bookshop, an auditorium, a terrace, restaurants… and spectacular views over the Port of Marseille and its bay.

- The Conservation and Resources Centre, a monolithic structure in ochre and white designed by Corinne Vezzoni, is located at the Belle de Mai and houses the million or so objects that provide an almost limitless source of exhibits for both the Mucem and other society-themed museums.

Since its official opening, more than 8 million visitors have passed through the Mucem’s doors, a remarkable result that underlines the quality of the work that has been achieved.

Become a Friend of the Mucem

By joining the International Circle of the Friends of the Mucem, you will actively contribute to enhancing the status of the Mucem, which has taken its place in the prestigious lineage of internationally-renowned French institutions.

Joining us brings numerous benefits: free, unlimited access to exhibitions; invitations to exhibition previews; exclusive tours accompanied by a curator; meetings with curators, historians and artists; themed conferences, excursions and trips; subscription to the ‘Friends’ Newsletter’ and the ‘Flash News’; private behind-the-scenes museum tours; special rates for all Museum events; 5% off purchases at the Mucem bookshop…

Joining us also means being part of a much wider project: helping the Mucem become, in its director’s words, “not just a museum, but a beacon that projects the light of Mediterranean cultures… and the new vital centre of the city.”