Marseille’s sun‑bleached port quays once moved silk, spices and olive oil across the world—but the city’s most fragrant export has always been its soap. Few products carry six centuries of history, chemistry and Mediterranean lore quite like Savon de Marseille.
1 | A Royal Rulebook (1688)
In 1688, Louis XIV’s minister Jean‑Baptiste Colbert issued a groundbreaking edict: only soaps made in greater Marseille and composed solely of olive oil could use the name “Savon de Marseille.”
2 | The Signature 72 % Cube (1906)
Chemist François Merklen standardised the recipe in 1906, fixing the oil content at a minimum of 72 % vegetable fat—a ratio still stamped on every traditional cube.
3 | The Legendary 14‑Day Cauldron Process
True Marseille soap is still “cooked” in giant open cauldrons with Mediterranean sea‑water, soda ash and olive (or sometimes palm/coconut) oil. The paste is heated, washed, rested, poured, cut and air‑dried for up to a month—14 meticulous steps that create a bar famed for purity and longevity.
4 | Four Guardians of a Tradition
Industrial upheaval shrank Marseille’s 122 soapworks of 1924 to just four surviving factories—all members of the Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille (UPSM): Marius Fabre, Savonnerie du Midi, Fer à Cheval and Le Sérail.
Marius Fabre Soap Museum (Salon‑de‑Provence) offers free guided tours.
Savonnerie du Midi’s Marseille Soap Museum lets visitors watch the cauldrons in action.
Le Sérail still runs 1940s machinery and holds “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” status.
5 | Towards UNESCO & Geographic Protection
UPSM is lobbying for both a Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) and eventual UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition to safeguard the craft for future generations.
6 | Why a Marseille Bar Still Matters Today
Naturally versatile: laundry stain‑stick, dish soap, pet‑safe wash, garden insecticide.
Zero synthetic nasties: no parabens, artificial fragrance or colouring by decree.
Planet‑friendly: biodegradable and made largely from recycled Mediterranean olive pomace.
Cultural icon: stamped cubes line French households the way Delft tiles line Dutch kitchens.
7 | Soapyard’s Provençal Connection
Soapyard is produced in the Marseille region itself—firmly within Provence. While our bars are not certified Savon de Marseille (which must follow the 1688 olive‑oil‑only decree), they stand in another proud local lineage: the colourful, perfumed savonnettes de Provence you’ll find stacked high in Provençal markets. Hand‑milled for density and longevity, our recipes echo the same pillars of Mediterranean craft—plant oils, family know‑how, and quality above gimmicks.
Plan Your Own Soap Pilgrimage
Stroll Marseille’s Vieux Port markets to hunt the classic green‑olive cube—or its rainbow Provençal cousins.
Book an atelier tour at one of the four heritage factories to watch soap “rise” in 8‑ton cauldrons.
Bring a bar home: it will outlast three bottles of liquid soap and leaves no plastic behind.
Yes! Here's a curated list of reliable and interesting links to enhance your Marseille soap blog. These include museums, historical facts, factory visits, and resources about traditional soapmaking in the Marseille region. You can hyperlink these in your blog or offer them as a "Further Reading" section.
🔗 Official Soapmakers & Museums
-
Marius Fabre Soap Museum (Salon-de-Provence)
https://www.marius-fabre.com/en/content/10-visit-our-soap-factory -
Savonnerie du Midi & Marseille Soap Museum
https://savonneriedumidi.fr/en/the-museum/ -
Fer à Cheval Soap Factory (Tours & Shop)
https://www.savon-de-marseille.com/en/ -
Savonnerie Le Sérail
https://www.savonnerie-leserail.com/
📚 Background Reading & Historical Sources
-
Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille (UPSM)
https://www.savondemarseillefrance.fr/
(Covers the official definition, producers, and UNESCO bid) -
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Portal (France)
https://ich.unesco.org/en/state/france-FR?info=elements-on-the-lists -
Brief History of Marseille Soap – French Moments
https://frenchmoments.eu/marseille-soap/ -
Scientific and Industrial Description of Savon de Marseille Process
https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=158732§ion=5.2
(from the Open University – technical breakdown of saponification)
🧭 Visitor Resources
-
Marseille Tourism Site – Soap & Artisan Workshops
https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover/shop/local-specialities/marseille-soap/ -
Provence Markets Overview (includes savonnettes)
https://www.avignon-et-provence.com/en/markets-provence
Savon de Marseille history, Marseille soap 1688 edict, 72 % olive oil soap, traditional French soap, UPSM soap makers, Marseille soap museum, cauldron soap process, artisan soap Provence, savonnettes de Provence, Soapyard soap, Mediterranean soap heritage