The history of Fort Ganteaume (formerly lower Fort Saint Nicolas) is intertwined with that of Marseille. Classified as a historic monument since 1969, Fort Ganteaume was commissioned by Louis XIV to protect the harbor of Marseille and was built by the knight Louis Nicolas de Clerville in the 17th century.

In 1887, the military authorities named Fort Saint-Nicolas Supérieur “Fort d’Entrecasteaux”, while the lower Fort Saint-Nicolas took the name Fort Ganteaume, Vice Admiral and Maritime Prefect of Toulon. This monument is today occupied by the Mess Circle of the Marseille-Aubagne Defense Base.