Marseille-Provence 2013 Capital of Culture programme observed that MP2013 seemed to have an over-representation of ‘high culture’. Marseille-Provence 2013 Marseille-Provence 2013 or MP2013 was the year-long series of cultural events that took place in Marseille, France and the surrounding area to celebrate the territory’s designation as the European Capital of Culture for 2013. In total, there were more than 900 different cultural events that attracted more 11 million visits. Marseille-Provence 2013 had an operating budget of approximately 100 million euros and more than 600 million euros in new cultural infrastructure was unveiled in 2013 including the MuCEM designed by Rudy Ricciotti and
European Capital of Culture European Capital of Culture The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Preparing a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for the city to generate considerable cultural, social and economic benefits and it can help foster urban regeneration, change the city's image and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale. In 1985, Melina Mercouri, Greece’s minister of culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang came up with the idea