 When I was a child, I always heard people saying, Marseille is not France. And I really didn't understand what they meant by this, and it was really frustrating for me. Now she knows that's Marseille's strength. It's more than just French. France's oldest city has been a melting pot of culture since it was founded by the Greeks 2,500 years ago. Spadiani says it has none of the arrogance of Paris or the neighboring Côte d'Azur.