Saint-Pierre is a district of Marseille, in the 5th arrondissement, which owes its name to a chapel built in the XNUMXth century in honor of Saint Peter the Apostle in the countryside, quite far from the city, and which has now disappeared.
The narrow and winding chemin de Saint-Pierre, which led there, became rue Saint-Pierre, the longest street in Marseille (3 meters, 400 against 3 meters for rue Paradis): it originated on Place Jean-Jaurès (la Plaine), crosses from west to east the entire 2th arrondissement as well as the 870th, 5th, 6th and 10th, and ends at the entrance to the Apple district.
The largest cemetery in Marseille, whose main entrance is on rue Saint-Pierre, is called the “Saint-Pierre cemetery” (see file); however, most of the cemetery is geographically located in the Timone district (10th arrondissement). On the other hand, the Timone hospital, whose entrance is on rue Saint-Pierre, is well located in the 5th arrondissement and not in the 10th.
Since the beginnings of the Marseille tramway, a depot has been established in Saint-Pierre, opposite the cemetery. Over the years the trams gradually gave way to buses and trolleybuses, but the famous "68" continued to have its terminus there until its disappearance in 2004. The depot for the new Marseille tram was established a few dozen meters from the old historic depot, which has been razed. Line 1 of the new tramway, which has replaced 68, continues beyond Saint-Pierre to reach the new Caillols terminus.
Line 68 was the only line in the Marseille tramway network before 2007. It was opened in 1893 and was closed for renovation in 2004, which will subsequently allow the establishment of the new Marseille Tramway network. It was one of the last three tramway lines to resist the advent of “all automobile” and “all bus” in France. The other two are in Saint-Étienne and Lille.
The history of this line begins in December 1893 when it opened. At the time, it linked the Gare de l'Est in the 1st arrondissement of Marseille to Aubagne. This lasted until the 50s when the line was amputated from its section going from Aubagne to the Saint-Pierre stop to leave a new road instead.
From the beginning of the 60s, the 68 had only three kilometers of line left and PCC equipment replaced the old trains in the years 1968-1969. The line was not entirely removed and deferred for multiple reasons:
> The plain tunnel at the end of Boulevard Chave did not allow the passage of two buses in both directions.
> The Gare de l'Est terminus was moved to Noailles with the advent of the second metro line in the 70s.
> Policies to rejuvenate the equipment and the line were undertaken because the line had regular attendance.
TEXTS Wikipedia
PHOTOS Dominique Milherou Tourism-Marseille.com & Fr.Latreille &
