La Castellane

La Castellane
Residential buildings in La Castellane

For the city in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, see Castellane.

La Castellane is a neighbourhood in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille, France. Built as a Modernist council estates in the 1960s for refugees from 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.

La Castellane is located in the Verduron district in the northwestern edge of Marseille, the second largest city in France after its capital Paris. It is just off the A55 autoroute.

The neighbourhood was built on the grounds of the ancient marquisate of Foresta. The idea of building tall, modern buildings was first broached in 1955. They were designed by architect Pierre Meillassoux, who was inspired by master architect Xavier Arsène-Henry and, to a certain extent, Oscar Niemeyer. They were completed in the 1960s.

The neighbourhood first served as a council estate for refugees from the Algerian War of 1954-1962, as a result of France's loss of French Algeria during the presidency of General Charles de Gaulle. Shortly after, immigrants from Morocco moved to La Castellane, followed by others from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbeans. It is now home to about 7,000 residents, many of whom are second-generation French citizens. For example, it is the hometown of football player Zinedine Zidane, whose parents were born in Algeria.Lamine Gassama, another football player who grew up in La Castellane, was born to parents from Senegal. As of 2015, the buildings are said to be run-down.