Ledge of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Ledge of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (French: Corniche du président-John-Fitzgerald-Kennedy; locally dubbed La Corniche) is a street in the 7th arrondissement of Marseille, France. It runs along the Mediterranean coast from the beach at Les Catalans in the city centre to Promenade Georges Pompidou and the Plages du Prado in the south, at the limit with the 8th arrondissement. It was named after US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy the year of his assassination, in 1963.

Ledge of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Corniche du président-John-Fitzgerald-Kennedy
La Corniche on the Pont de la Fausse Monnaie (Counterfeit Money Bridge), northwest of the Villa Valmer
Country	France
City	Marseille
Arrondissement	7th

Description

Old tram at Fausse Monnaie

Starting as a simple path created between 1848 and 1863, the Corniche was later developed into an actual road from 1954 to 1968, when the municipal executive led by Mayor Gaston Defferre decided to expand it. Plans for a tram line, which were first presented in the late 19th century, were rapidly realised, although it was later disbanded to create space for the automobile.

It overlooks the Mediterranean and its islands, amongst others the Frioul archipelago. Along it are fishermen's barracks, 19th century villas (most notably the Villa Valmer and its public park), hotels, restaurants (including Le Petit Nice of chef Gérald Passédat), bars and beaches (Plage du Prophète being one of the best known). The Corniche also passes over the Vallon des Auffes and its adjacent Monument aux Morts de l'Armée d'Orient, as well as the Anse de la Fausse Monnaie (Counterfeit Money Cove). As the origin of this name remains unknown, it is used in local tales to embellish the story of the area.

On the sea side of the Corniche Kennedy is a bench running nearly its entire 3 km (1.9 mi) length, with almost no interruption; this made people from Marseille dub it the "longest bench in the world". Despite it being forbidden to jump into the sea from the Corniche, it is a popular activity for local residents.

In popular culture

The boardwalk serves as a meeting place for teenagers in the novel Corniche Kennedy by Maylis de Kerangal. In 2016, the novel was given a film adaptation by the director Dominique Cabrera in an eponym movie. The Corniche can also be seen in the 2014 film The Connection by director Cédric Jimenez. In ‘’Creation Lake: A Novel’’ by Rachel Kushner, the narrator states, ‘’Our hotel, The Richelieu, was not a luxury establishment but happened to be, unlike all the other hotels in this part of Marseille, on the correct side of the Corniche—the waterfront side.’’

Gallery

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  Le Petit Nice
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  Vallon des Auffes and Monument aux Morts des Armées d'Orient
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  Le Rhul restaurant
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  Plage du Prophète
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  Fishermen on the Corniche with the Frioul archipelago in the distance
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  Le Peron restaurant
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  Counterfeit Money Bridge
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  Broadwalk near the Marégraphe