Then the town was occupied by the French King Charles D'Anjou. City infrastructure was developed, and it became the most important administrative and trade centre in the south of France. Marseille's economy is largely based on its large and busy harbor, one of the most important in France. Business on all levels was flourishing. Unfortunately, the plague of the Black Death hit Marseille severely. The epidemic was brought by a ship, while quarantine and hygienic conditions were not sufficient, so the disease quickly spread. As a result, the city was excluded from the rest of the southern province, and there was a ban on traveling in or out of it.

The revolution was very well-accepted in Marseille, where it had many supporters. The hymn of the revolution, which is also nowadays the anthem of France, was sung for the first time there, being the well-known Marseillaise.

Marseille is administratively divided into sixteen municipal arrondissements (neighborhoods), which are further divided into quartiers (111 in total). The arrondissements are grouped in pairs into sectors, and 8 sectors form a council and have a town hall, just like the arrondissements in Paris and Lyon. Visually, they also resemble those in the capital, appearing as concentric ovals. The municipal elections take place by sectors. Each sector votes for its councillors (303 in total), and the large number of such representatives is one guarantee for the preservation of a democratic city rule. Marseille holds 25 of the 58 seats at the general council of the Bouches-du-Rhone.

Nowadays, Marseille is the second biggest city after the capital, and the largest and most important commercial port. Archaeological projects which have been carried out in the Vieux Port area (around the old harbor) and in the Centre Bourse have revealed many remnants of the past. They reveal that this city is a place with an exceedingly rich and varied history. The old town, called Panier, and the old port are the main attractions for tourists. It is said each neighborhood is like a small provincial village, and to truly taste the atmosphere of Marseille, you have to visit them all.