The Pharo promontory (right) forms a rocky plateau that separates the Anse du Pharo from the open sea. It was chosen to build the Palais du Pharo, an imperial residence by the sea, in accordance with the wish expressed by Napoléon III during his visit to Marseille in 1852. The emperor never stayed there, and his widow, Empress Eugénie, offered it to the city which transformed it into a medical school at the beginning of the 20th century before making it a congress center with a privileged location.