Marseilles Notre Dame de la Garde

Published on October 3, 2008 by Francois Hagnere in Architecture

The sumptuous basilica majestically overlooks the harbor and the Mediterranean city. “The Good Mother” has become a symbol dear to the heart of the inhabitants.

The basilica Notre Dame de la Garde (Our Lady of the Watch) was built from 1863 to 1893 on the grounds of a former XIIIth century chapel. It majestically rises above the mediterranean city. The architect Jacques-Henri Espérandieu who also created the Longchamp Palace (see: Marseilles Longchamp Palace: to the Glory of Water) chose the romano-byzantine style widely using marble of various colors and porphyry from Italy. The church is so dear to the heart of the inhabitants that they called it “La Bonne Mère” (The Good Mother).

The 45 meters high belfry is elegantly topped with a gilt statue of the Virgin and Child which is itself 11 meters high and weighs 9796 kilos. It was sculpted by Eugène-Louis Lequesne and made by the famous Parisian jeweller Charles Christofle in 1870. Cast-iron stairs enable to climb up to the head. The polychromic mosaics, marbles and murals are simply unforgettable as is the view over Marseilles, the harbors and the sea. Visible from very far, Notre Dame de la Garde irresistibly calls to mind the cathedral of Sienna in Italy.