On October 2nd, 1860, Charlemagne-Émile de Maupas is appointed by Napoleon III at the head of Bouches-du-Rhône to modernize the town planning and the infrastructures of Marseilles, first port of France. Anytime soon arrived, he launches the construction of a new Prefecture, luxurious palace in the glory of the department, the Empire and himself. This expensive building – more than 10 million francs – occupies him during all its mandate but eventually costs him its post, just before the inauguration. However, the prefectorial palace testifies of the success of the mission of Maupas. Its painted decoration so reports metamorphoses of the Phocaean city : following the example of Paris, numerous streets were drilled and lined with elegant Haussmann buildings, luxurious public buildings were built, pleasant English gardens were fitted out so that, in the revocation of Maupas, at the end of December, 1866, Marseilles became one of the showcases of the Second Empire.