We have always come across it in houses in the South, without necessarily knowing its usefulness. However, this traditional accessory combines the advantages: it lets air circulate, limits heat and helps keep insects at bay.
When temperatures exceed 35°C, every ray of sunshine counts. Faced with increasingly frequent heatwaves, many are looking for simple solutions to keep their homes cooler without systematically resorting to air conditioning. In the South of France, there is an accessory that has been used for generations, which can still be seen on many houses and sheds. As practical as it is aesthetic, it allows you to better withstand high heat while keeping doors and windows open.
Long before the advent of air conditioners, people in Mediterranean regions had already found an answer to scorching summers. The idea was simple: continue to circulate the air without letting in the full force of the sun, or the flies that invade houses on sunny days. This traditional solution creates a flexible separation between the interior and exterior. It is easily crossed, it immediately falls back into place and continues to protect the opening throughout the day.
This protection has a name: the Marseille curtain. Very common around Marseille and more widely in Provence, it is made of a large thick canvas, formerly made of cotton and today sometimes made of more resistant technical fabrics. Often decorated with large colored stripes, it is weighted in its lower part by a wooden or metal bar which keeps it upright, even when the mistral blows. Installed in front of a door, a French window or a bay opening onto a balcony, it filters the sun’s rays while allowing air to circulate. It also constitutes an effective barrier against flies and many insects.
Its use is very simple. Simply attach it above the opening most exposed to the sun and leave it unrolled during the hottest hours. Unlike closed shutters which plunge the room into darkness, the Marseille curtain allows you to continue to ventilate the home while maintaining a little freshness and privacy. It is particularly suitable for homes, but can also find its place in front of a balcony or loggia, subject to co-ownership rules.
Long considered a simple element of Provençal heritage, the Marseille curtain is today regaining all its interest. Its operation is based on very current principles of summer comfort: promoting natural ventilation, limiting direct sunlight and avoiding running the air conditioning constantly. At a time when heat episodes are becoming more intense, this ancestral method reminds us that there are sometimes solutions that are as effective as they are durable, imagined long before modern technologies.
