New plan could save Marseille’s abandoned Charmerettes Estate

The Charmerettes country house has seen better days. courtoisie

Since the closure of the Foyer Helvétique des Charmerettes in 2012, the Swiss enclave in the heart of Marseille has been abandoned. After a failed building project in 2020, the foundation in charge of the estate is now pinning its hopes on a new rehabilitation plan.

Broken shutters, faded walls, peeling paint, and damaged floors: the splendour of the Charmerettes bastide and its annexes, built at the end of the 18th century, is a distant memory. Among the buildings that have been almost completely abandoned since the Swiss retirement home closed in 2012, only the Grütli – a small chalet – occasionally welcomes the Swiss community in Marseille.

However, a new renovation project could, in the coming months, bring an end to years of neglect and infighting within Marseille’s Swiss community.

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The central driveway leads to the estate’s bastide house. Located in the heart of Marseille’s 8th arrondissement, it is surrounded by residential areas. courtoisie

The building known as “Grütli” is located near the entrance to the estate. Less run-down than the others, it still hosts events organised by the Swiss community in Marseille. courtoisie

The grounds of the Charmerettes estate cover 3.8 hectares. It also includes a farm and market garden. courtoisie

Some of the shutters on the front façade have even fallen down. courtoisie

The pergola is in a sorry state. courtoisie

Paintwork is crumbling and walls are covered in damp, as seen here in the ground floor entrance. courtoisie

The traditional terracotta tiles that cover the floor have been damaged by years of neglect. courtoisie

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Respecting the site’s values

The Fondation Helvetia Massilia, which owns the Charmerettes estate – a 3.8-hectare country park with buildings, including a farm, nestled in the heart of Marseille – has been in discussions with the Label Vie association for several months.

“Label Vie was founded around 15 years ago in Marseille, with the aim of helping childcare facilities incorporate sustainable practices into their daily routine,” explains Laura Zimer, Label Vie’s Director of Innovation and Partnerships.

The plan is to create an “eco-environment” based on this model at Les Charmerettes. The bastide would house a crèche, a training centre for childcare staff, and an information and support centre open to the public – mainly parents and professionals in the sector. The farm, its market garden, and the estate’s large park would complete the link that Label Vie is seeking to establish with environmental issues.

For Valéry Engelhard, chair of the Fondation Helvetia Massilia, “this hybrid place of care, education, and agriculture aligns with the history of the site and the foundation”.

The Swiss in Marseille

Marseille and Switzerland have long been linked by tradition. As early as the 16th century, a large Swiss community settled in Marseille. Most of them were craftsmen.

In the 19th century, the port of Marseille was expanding rapidly, and the Swiss, fleeing poverty in their homeland at the time, arrived in droves.

The large community showed solidarity and numerous associations were founded, partly to perpetuate the Swiss identity, and partly to maintain the good reputation of Swiss workers, acquired over time and synonymous with prosperity for the diaspora.

Today, around 5,000 Swiss people live in Marseille and are registered with the consulate, but it is estimated that the real number is at least three times that.

Financial challenges

However, there are significant challenges, particularly financial ones. The current renovation costs are estimated at around €3 million (CHF2.85 million). Fondation Helvetia Massilia and Label Vie plan to share the costs equally.

However, the expenses for emergency maintenance, taxes, and other insurance weigh heavily on the foundation’s finances, costing around €25,000 a year. As a Swiss foundation under private law, it must also pay fees to the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ASF), part of the Swiss interior ministry, which amount to around €6,000 to €7,000 annually.

The two rents paid by the occupants of the farmhouse and another building are currently the foundation’s only income, amounting to around €3,000 a year. Engelhard notes that “the foundation used to have a nest egg in the bank from historical financial products”, but this has dwindled over the years and is now “virtually exhausted” due to a lack of income.

A controversial project

Relations between the Fondation Helvetia Massilia and the Société Suisse de Bienfaisance de Marseille (SSB), the oldest Swiss association in Marseille, have been strained for more than a decade. In 2020, the latest rehabilitation project at Les Charmerettes exacerbated these tensions.

The plan was to sell part of the land to a private company to build a residential block. However, in addition to encountering obstacles due to changes at Marseille town hall, the SSB strongly opposed this solution and lodged an appeal against the planning permission. Since then, communication between members of the two associations has been fraught.

A fresh start for the common good

While there are differences of opinion on the best way to save the estate, the Fondation Helvetia Massilia and the Société Suisse de Bienfaisance de Marseille agree that Charmerettes should retain its original purpose: providing a home for the Swiss diaspora in Marseille.

At the beginning of 2024, the SSB board of directors appointed one of its members, Fabienne Hoffmeyer, to ensure that dialogue with the foundation became more constructive. “The SSB has no power in this matter, other than that of persuasion,” she says.

The Helvetia Massilia Foundation is the sole owner of the estate and has no obligation to consult any third party, except the ASF. However, Engelhard emphasises, “this is not the foundation’s project, but a joint project. I therefore want all parties to be consulted”.

Preserving a Swiss presence in Marseille

Relations between the Fondation Helvetia Massilia and the SSB have now improved. The two organisations are currently discussing the possibility of the former handing over the management of the Grütli to the latter. After renovation, this small, emblematic building on the estate could once again host events organised by the SSB.

“We want the Grütli to become a lively venue again, with a bar or restaurant that could be supplied with food from the estate,” says Hoffmeyer.

“This is a place that needs to bring people together,” adds Marie-José Mathieu, president of the SSB, who hopes that, if realised, this project will revitalise the community and, indirectly, charity work.

In recent months, the association has been seeking sponsors to finance the work. Hoffmeyer believes that discussions with the foundation could be concluded by the end of the year. “We could then look forward to six months of work, followed by a major celebration of Swiss families in June next year.”

Consensus building

Engelhard is confident the project will come to fruition: the foundation board is in favour, the SSB does not seem to oppose it, and Label Vie’s commitment and funding are assured.

The Swiss consul general in Marseille, Christophe Vauthey, became involved when he took up his post in the spring. The Fondation Helvetia Massilia’s articles of association stipulate that he represents the Swiss government on the Foundation Board and acts as a coordinator between the Board and the ASF.

Since his arrival in Marseille, he has held talks with the various parties involved in the Charmerettes project, including the municipal authorities. “It is planned to organise a public information session in autumn 2024, where the current situation and future plans will be discussed,” says the Swiss foreign ministry.

All signs appear positive, with one small detail remaining: the foundation still needs to raise its share of the investment funds.

Make or break

Valéry Engelhard has been at the helm of the Fondation Helvetia Massilia for over ten years. Tired of the community’s quarrels and the prolonged search for a solution for the estate, he sees this project as the last chance: “Either we find a permanent solution in the next 12 to 18 months, or we dissolve the foundation and sell the estate. This decision was taken at a board meeting.”

To sell the property, however, the Helvetia Massilia Foundation would need to obtain approval from the Swiss Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations.