The Madonna of Notre Dame de la Garde, MarseillePart lighthouse, part fortress, part sacred place of pilgrimage, Notre Dame de la Garde is the symbol of Marseille. Locals always refer to her as La Bonne Mère (the Good Mother).

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Built on the city's highest point, the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde can constantly be glimpsed from the moment you emerge out of Saint Charles Station. It's visible along streets, up hills and through archways from almost anywhere in Marseille.

Illuminated by night, the great church dominates the bay like a beacon. It has a magnificent setting, panoramic views, a stirring history, an exotic, Byzantine interior and a firm place in the affections of the local community - and not just Catholics.

It all makes Notre Dame de la Garde an unmissable destination for anyone who wants to understand something of the Marseille spirit.

A THUMBNAIL HISTORY

The site served as a look-out point from Roman times. A church was originally built there in 1214, and sailors would climb the hill to pray for a safe voyage in prospect or to give thanks for their unharmed return.

King François I ordered a fort to be erected there to protect Marseille from King Charles V of Spain in 1524 - the year that work also began on the Château d'If for the very same reason. François' emblem, the salamander, is still visible in the stonework above the north porch.

The current basilica was built in 1853 and consecrated in 1864. But, with its drawbridge and residual ramparts, it doesn't disguise its history as a fortress.

The architect, Henri-Jacques Espérandieu, came from a Protestant family in Nîmes. He spent most of his creative life in Marseille and is the driving force behind some of its most famous monuments, including the Palais Longchamp and the Cathedral de la Major.

Ceiling mosaic from Notre Dame de la Garde, MarseilleEspérandieu was just 24 when he began work on Notre Dame de la Garde. He had a radical - and, at the time, shocking - vision of an exotic, Romano-Byzantine edifice built in multi-coloured striped stone.

It's topped by a monumental statue of the Virgin coated in gold leaf by the sculptor Eugène-Louis Lequesne, installed in 1870. It weighs 9796 kilos / 21600 lbs, and the wrist measurement of the infant Jesus is 1.10 metres / 3.5 feet.

In line with the city's multi-cultural heritage, there's an oriental, almost Islamic feel to the upper sanctuary, with its acres of ornate gold leaf. The intricate floor and ceiling mosaics depict olives, vines, palm trees and exotic birds and, above the altar, a ship with sails in Marseille's blue and white colours, pictured.

The city's maritime connections are apparent everywhere, from the anchor motifs to the intricate models of boats hanging from the ceiling or displayed in the outer corridors in glass cases. The church is packed with votive offerings hinting at thousands of fascinating stories.

There are war medals, life buoys, crash helmets, even Olympique de Marseille shirts and pennants. The football team made a pilgrimage to the church to give thanks for one of its victories!

Some of the engraved stones that line the walls are in provençal, a couple are in English and many date from the last couple of decades. They tell of miraculous escapes: from a terrible cyclone, from a war, from exam failure, from a stomach ulcer. Naïf paintings depict traumatic events: ships buffeted by the waves, patients on their sickbeds and the civic turbulence of May 1968.

Notre Dame de la Garde, MarseilleWorks of art to look out for when visiting the upper sanctuary and vaulted crypt include the imposing bronze doors and high altar designed by Henri Revoil, a silver statue of the Virgin Mary by Chanuel and a multi-coloured bas-relief of Annunciation, a Florentine work of the 16th century.

You should allow time to stroll around the wraparound terraces which - though it can get very windy when the Mistral is blowing - offer breathtaking 360 degree views of Marseille, the bay, the hills, the Chateau d'If and Frioul Islands. Telescopes are set up at suitable vantage points.

 

The northern wall still bears the scars of bullets from the liberation of the basilica on 25 August 1944, three days before the liberation of the rest of the city.

You can see the remains of the Jeanne d'Arc tank, which took part in this assault, sitting on the place du Colonel Edon halfway up the hill.

If time permits, Notre Dame's museum is also well worth a look. Tucked away under the drawbridge, it surveys the church's rich history and has special temporary exhibitions. There's a very small admission charge.

By the way, Notre Dame is not Marseille's cathedral. That honour belongs to Sainte Marie Majeure, down on the waterfront on the other side of the Old Port. Espérandieu was one of a stream of architects who worked on this vast project

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

assumption procession marseilleOpen daily (check the website for Notre Dame de la Garde for opening hours as these can vary during the year). Admission free. Try to arrive early to avoid the endless series of noisy tour groups.

The church receives supplicants throughout the year and is the focus of a major pilgrimage each year on 15 August (Assumption Day).

It's customarily preceded on the evening of 14 August by a candlelight procession, pictured, followed by a mass. We went to the procession one year and it was a moving experience.

How to get there: You can get to Notre Dame on bus 60 from the MuCEM or the Old Port, or else take the petit train (little tourist train) on the quai du Port for a guided tour: you can get off the train at Notre Dame, look around at your leisure and catch a later petit train back down.

On foot, it's a steep 1 km / 0.6 mile climb up to the basilica from the quai de Rive Neuve.

The long staircase leading up to Notre Dame de la Garde from the drop-off point for buses, cars and petit trains used to pose a problem for disabled visitors, families with small children and pushchairs and, indeed, anyone with restricted mobility.

However that has now changed and a large lift / elevator serves all the levels of the basilica, including the crypt.

According to tradition, "true" pilgrims would crawl laboriously up the stairs on their hands and knees, and even the able-bodied would put stones in their shoes to make the ascent more challenging.

Notre Dame de la Garde, Marseille, interiorfun fact about Notre Dame de la Garde in MarseilleA funicular to Notre Dame was constructed in 1892. It rose directly from the rue Dragon to the drawbridge.

Alas, it fell into disuse as people turned to road transport and was dismantled in 1967 after having transported 20 million passengers in its 75-year existence.

From time to time there has been vague talk of a téléphérique (cable car) connection from the Old Port to the Bonne Mère. It would be the second téléphérique in Provence after the one up to Mont Faron in Toulon. But don't expect this to happen any time soon.

Where to eat and drink: Formerly known as L'Eau Vive, Notre Dame's own cafeteria has been imaginatively renamed Le Restaurant.

L'Eau Vive had previously run into legal difficulties because of its alleged exploitation of missionary nuns. It is now under new management and has been completely refurbished.

The interior is much brighter than before and decorated with model ships and photographs from the basilica's own archives.

It offers a set menu as well as individual salads and other dishes throughout the day, and everything is very reasonably priced.

There's also a small shop selling provençal delicacies prepared by monks. Tel: (+33) 4 91 98 25 17.

A fun alternative, if the weather is good: the food truck stationed on the outdoor terrace. It has stunning views across the city, simple tables and seating and is open into the evening during  the summer.

A short walk down the hill behind Notre Dame, La Bonne Mère has quickly won a reputation for cooking up some of the best pizzas in France. 16 rue Fort du Sanctuaire, 13006 Marseille. Tel: (+33) 4 91 58 22 05

 

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