La Castellane
La Castellane | |
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Neighbourhood | |
Coordinates: 43°22′01″N 5°20′31″E / 43.367°N 5.342°E |
La Castellane is a neighbourhood in the 16th arrondissement of Marseille, France. Built as a Modernist council estate in the 1960s for French refugees of the Algerian War of 1954–1962, it is now home to about 7,000 residents, many of whom are second-generation French citizens. The neighbourhood is plagued by unemployment, drug trafficking, prostitution, and arms smuggling. It is also known for being the neighbourhood where the footballer Zinedine Zidane grew up.[1]
Location
La Castellane is located in the Verduron district in the northwestern edge of Marseille,[2] the second largest city in France after its capital Paris.[3] It is just off the A55 autoroute.[4]
History
The neighbourhood was built on the grounds of the ancient marquisate of Foresta.[2] The idea of building tall, modern buildings was first broached in 1955.[2] They were designed by architect Pierre Meillassoux, who was inspired by master architect Xavier Arsène-Henry and, to a certain extent, Oscar Niemeyer.[2] The housing complex, completed in the 1960s, consists of eleven buildings containing 1,249 apartments.[2] As of 2015, the buildings are said to be run-down.[5]
The neighbourhood first served as a
In the first round of the 2017 presidential election, the
The neighbourhood is plagued by unemployment, drug trafficking, prostitution and arms smuggling.[3][12] There are three drug-trafficking networks: "place du Mérou", "Tour K", and "La Jougardelle".[13] French newspapers have suggested the neighbourhood is known as a "supermarket" for illegal drugs.[13]
In June 2013, French police took down a drug-trafficking syndicate, including 1.3 million euros in cash split between several smugglers, weapons and drugs.[5] In December 2014, a state school was burnt down in La Castellane.[14] A month later, in January 2015, a young man was gunned down, as was another young man in 2011.[5]
On 9 February 2015, shortly after gunfire at a police car during the
On June 15, 2015, French police arrested 33 suspected drug traffickers, including Socialist Senator Samia Ghali's chauffeur, as well as weapons and several kilograms of cannabis.[13] Bernard Cazeneuve, the French Interior Minister, suggested drug-trafficking was used to fund terrorism on French soil, and reiterated his commitment to restore order.[13]
In April 2016, some buildings were scheduled to be demolished in an effort to put an end to drug-trafficking.[18]
References
- ^ Harounyan, Stéphanie. "A la Castellane, l'immeuble de Zidane détruit, la réhabilitation commence". Libération (in French). Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Patrimoine Marseille XX: 1535 - La Castellane". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Gunmen fire on Marseille police as PM Valls visits city, Reuters, February 09, 2015
- ^ Google Map
- ^ a b c d e f g A Marseille, 7 kalachnikovs retrouvées dans la cité de la Castellane après les tirs, Le Monde, 09 January 2015
- ^ a b c Andrew Hussey, ZZ Top, The Guardian, 4 April 2004
- ^ Razik Brikh, Gassama : "Pour gagner des trophées, c'est à l'OL qu'il faut jouer", Lyon Capitale, 13 December 2008
- ^ "In the footsteps of Zidane". The Independent. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ "RESULTS: Full breakdown of how France voted in the first round". 23 April 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ "Opinion | Can Macron Do for the Banlieues What the Banlieues Have Done for Soccer?". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ "Muslims in France - 'They say we're not French'". 22 January 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ a b Lizzie Dearden, Gunmen in Marseille 'shoot at police' hours before French Prime Minister due to visit, The Independent, 09 Monday 2015
- ^ a b c d Akhillé Aercke, Des dizaines d'arrestations après une opération anti-drogue à Marseille, Le Figaro, June 15, 2015
- ^ Samia Ghali : "Les gens vivent à la Castellane avec la peur au ventre", France Info, 09 February 2015
- ^ Marc Leras, Marseille police shot at by hooded gunmen, prior to French PM visit, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 February 2015
- ^ marseille : pourquoi le trafic garde la main à la castellane, La Provence, 11 February 2015
- ^ Maia de la Baume, Shots Fired Near Marseille on Day of French Prime Minister’s Visit, The New York Times, February 09, 2015
- ^ Becker, Francois (8 April 2016). "Marseille: la Castellane va être réhabilitée, une page se tourne". La Provence. Retrieved 8 April 2016.