Founded in 1214 on a hill belonging to the Abbey of Saint-Victor, the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de la Garde became the spiritual heart of Marseille. After being integrated into a fortress under Francis I, the current Romano-Byzantine style edifice was erected in the 19th century. It houses the statue of the 'Good Mother', protector of sailors and the city.
Guided reading
6 reading sections
NOTRE-DAME DE LA GARDE, IN MARSEILLE
Origins and medieval foundation
In 1214, a man named Pierre obtained authorization from the Abbey of Saint-Victor to build a chapel on the hill of La Garde.
The dearest of all the works undertaken under the episcopate of Bishop Rainier, and the only one, moreover, to have survived the disasters of the French Revolution, was the foundation of the venerated sanctuary of N otre-Dame de la Garde, Notre-Dame de la Garde Marian figure, protector of Marseille and titular of the sanctuary. at the summit of a hill located to the northwest of Marsei Marseille Birthplace of the saint. lle.
It was around the year 1214 that the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Garde was founded, and here are the circumstances.
The mountain of La Garde belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Victor. A man named Pierr Pierre Lay founder of the first church on the hill of La Garde. e, one of those called masters, had the devotion to have a church built there, and he wished to add a house to it and cultivate a plot of land on the mountain, apparently to endow the church; he negotiated this with Guillaume, Abbot of Saint-Victor, and they reached an agreement as follows:
The Abbot, with the consent of the community, permitted Pierre to build a church and houses on the mountain, and to create a garden, a vineyard, and such other crops as he pleased. The enjoyment of all this was granted to Pierre only as long as he remained faithful to the Abbot and his successors and obeyed them. He could not alienate anything without their consent; he obligated himself, for as long as he remained in possession of what was ceded to him, to pay each year, on the day of the feast of Saint Victor, twelve Roman denie saint Victor Roman veteran martyred with the legion. rs to the cellarer of the abbey, and after his death, all the land he had occupied and all the additions and improvements he had made were to revert to the Abbot and the monastery.
Pierre, after accepting these conditions, gave himself to the Abbey of Saint-Victor, into the hands of the Abbot, to be a brother and a faithful son of the Order.
Developments and fortification
The sanctuary developed with the addition of a tower in the 14th century, followed by its integration into a fort built by Francis I in the 16th century.
After the death of Pierre, the claustral prior of Saint-Victor, fulfilling the functions of the abbot, granted the administration of this chapel to Ripert de Uzenobre, deacon, on March 29 of the year 1256.
A new tower was erected by order of the Marseille municipality, and this tower is called in the titles of the year 1385: *Turris beatæ Mariæ de Gardia*.
The chapel, too small to contain the considerable number of faithful who came there from all parts, was entirely rebuilt and enlarged in 1478.
It was Francis I who h ad the Notre François Ier King of France mentioned during the vision of Pavia. -Dame de la Garde fort built; it was raised as we still see it today, from the year 1515 to the year 1525; it was built with large stone blocks taken from the ruins of the Cordeliers convent, demolished in 1514; from then on, the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Garde was enclosed within the fortress. The Bishop of Troyes came to consecrate it in 1544, at the request of the priors of the confraternity.
The chapel was repaired again in 1732.
The 19th-century reconstruction
After the Revolution, a new monumental sanctuary in the Romano-Byzantine style was built between 1852 and 1864 under the impetus of Bishop de Mazenod.
On Saturday, April 4, 1807, the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Garde, which had been closed during the Revolution, was returned to public worship. But it was not long before the need for an edifice more in keeping with the influx and devotion of the pilgrims was felt. Begun in 1852, un der Bishop Eugène de Mgr Eugène de Mazenod Founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Bishop of Marseille. Mazenod, the new sanctuary was inaugurated under Bis Mgr Cruice Bishop of Marseille under whom the sanctuary was inaugurated. hop Cruice in 1864. No one has forgotten the splendor of the celebrations that took place on that occasion on the 4th and 5th of June of that year.
Architecture and materials
Technical description of the edifice designed by the architect Espérandieu, using stones from Calissanne and Florence.
The edifice is preceded by an immense flight of steps, the staircase of which has been broken up for some years by patches of greenery placed at intervals, as if to rest the eye of the pilgrim weary from this arduous ascent.
It was built according to the plans of M. Espérandieu, in the Romano-Byzantine style, characterized by the combination of the tower and the dome, and measures forty-seven meters in length by sixteen meters in width.
The exterior was constructed of Calissanne stone. Bases break up the whiteness of the tone of these stones, which is also highlighted by bands of Colfaline (stone from Florence), pale blue. The dome is approximately fifteen meters high and measures nine and a half meters in diameter. The bell tower, already raised to a considerable height, will be domi nated by a st la Bonne-Mère Marian figure, protector of Marseille and titular of the sanctuary. atue of the Good Mother, executed using galvanoplastic processes. The bourdon bell, which has already been placed there, weighs ten thousand kilograms.
The edifice is oriented according to the prescriptions of the archaeological rule to which one was formerly so faithful, that is to say, the apse is to the east and the porch to the west.
Interior decoration and devotion
The sanctuary houses chapels dedicated to various saints, diocesan relics, and numerous ex-votos testifying to popular piety.
Inside, one is first struck by the elevation of the semicircular vaults, which produces a profound impression on the souls of the devout pilgrims.
The chapel consists of three naves, the transept, and the apse.
The apse ends in a hemicycle with the chapel of the Good Mother. At the back stands the pedestal supporting the venerated statue. This statue, in repoussé silver, is a true masterpiece.
The main nave is flanked by six side chapels, dedicated, on the Gospel side, to Saint Joseph, Saint Lazarus, and Saint Charles; those on the Epistle side, to Saint Peter, Saint Mary Magdalene, and Saint Roch. These chapels each contain an oriented altar, executed according to beautiful models of Romanesque art. Two small lapis lazuli columns support the pediment of the tabernacle of these altars, above which one sees, in the openings made in the nave, reliquaries containing the relics of the Saints of the diocese. A mosaic pavement covers the floor of these chapels. Four large marble plaques, placed in the chapels of Saint Charles, Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint Lazarus, and Saint Roch, remind visitors of the history of the new sanctuary and the names of the bishops who attended its consecration.
The transept is supported by columns of Alpine marble, of a beautiful green color. It features in its upper part two large twin windows, surmounted by a radiating rose window.
The materials used for the coverings, columns, and pilasters are of the greatest luxury and constitute the main richness of the interior decoration. White Carrara marble, red Brignoles marble, Fréjus porphyry, and red granite marry their rich colors there.
The walls of the sanctuary, entirely covered by marble or painting, support, in the space left free below the windows, the ex-votos of piety toward the Good Mother. Small ships, silver lamps, anchors, flags, chains, and hearts, suspended from the vaults or placed against the walls, testify to this same filial piety.
The confessionals were executed in the Romano-Byzantine style. The carvings are of a remarkable finish. The gallery that surmounts the monumental drum that opens at the entrance of the church rightly attracts the attention of connoisseurs. Two marble roses bloom nearby; the coats of arms of Mgr de Mazenod and those of Mgr Cruice occupy their center.
Stained glass windows in grisaille allow a soft light to penetrate the interior of the building. They bear the names of the pious donors who offered them to the sanctuary.
From the upper chapel, one descends into a crypt that is approximately the same size as the main church. The vault is supported by strong columns and thick pilasters. A molding, formed of scrolls and interlacing foliage, runs under the springing of the arches. On the wall surfaces, one can see small marble plaques, presenting in red letters the names of the generous benefactors whose offerings allowed the construction of the sanctuary to be completed. The floor is covered with a marquetry pavement. The altar, whose Colfaline table is supported by small marble columns, is in the 17th-century style.
Influence and Pilgrimage
Notre-Dame de la Garde remains the protective symbol of Marseille, attracting nearly a million pilgrims each year.
Such is, in its entirety and its main details, the edifice that the piety of Marseille has placed on a height from which the view embraces the city, its ports, its territory, and its vast enclosure of high hills. To the west unfolds majestically the sea, which Notre-Dame de la Garde seems to have as its special mission to protect.
It has been estimated that up to nearly a million pilgrims climb the steep slopes of the holy hill each year: Marseille is rightly proud of its pilgrimage, and it counts among its greatest glories that of being the city of the Good Mother of the Garde.
This notice, due to the kindness of Abbé Ricard, is taken from his *Histoire des Évêques de Marse ille* and his *Semaine liturgique Histoire des Évêques de Marseille Work by Abbé Ricard serving as a source for the text. de Marseille*.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- 1214: Foundation of the first chapel by Master Pierre
- 1256: Administration entrusted to Ripert de Uzenobre
- 1478: Reconstruction and expansion of the chapel
- 1515-1525: Construction of the fort by Francis I enclosing the chapel
- 1807: Reopened for worship after the Revolution
- 1852-1864: Construction and inauguration of the new Romano-Byzantine sanctuary
Quotes
-
Marseille is rightly proud of its pilgrimage, and it counts among its greatest glories that of being the city of the Good Mother of the Guard.
Abbé Ricard