Notre-Dame de la Garde
Historic site and monument Religious heritage Basilica
Presentation
Notre-Dame de la Garde " La Bonne Mère ", emblematic figure of the city, watches over the sailors, the fishermen and all the inhabitants of Marseilles.
During your stay in Marseille—whether it’s for several days or just a weekend—be sure to visit it and admire the panoramic view from the top of the hill. It offers a unique view of the city, the Old Port, the Panier district, the Frioul and If islands, northern Marseille, the beach neighborhoods, and the hills surrounding Marseille.
La Garde Hill (154 m) has always served as a lookout point. Tradition holds that the watchtower has existed since prehistoric times, though it is more certain that it dates back to Roman times.
In the 15th century, an ordinance issued by Charles II of Anjou included La Garde Hill on the list of relay stations. This watch system was improved over the centuries, and the hill continued to serve this function until 1978. To protect Marseille from the armies of Charles V, led by the Constable of Bourbon, Francis I had a fort built in 1524 at the summit of the hill, which, together with the Château d’If at the entrance to the harbor, formed a maritime defense that the city had previously lacked. Today, one can still see the remains of the fort, which serves as the foundation for the current basilica, and make out (though it is now almost completely erased) above the north porch the emblem of the King: a salamander. But the Hill of La Garde took on its full significance—as a sacred and urban landmark—with the construction of the basilica in 1853. From then on, the building’s silhouette became inseparable from the image of Marseille. However, several churches and chapels preceded its construction. The first was built in 1214, when a hermit, Master Pierre, received permission to build on this land belonging to Saint-Victor Abbey.
Beginning in the 16th century, the chapel gradually became a center of devotion for sailors. The first votive offerings that sailors brought there date from this period. Thus, from that time on, the Garde Hill served a threefold purpose: a lookout post, a military fortification, and a place of worship and pilgrimage.
By the mid-19th century, the sanctuary had become too small to accommodate the many pilgrims who visited it. Bishop de Mazenod decided to build a large basilica there, dedicated to Our Lady of the Guard. The cornerstone was laid on September 11, 1853; the architect Espérandieu was commissioned to oversee the construction, and the consecration took place on June 5, 1864.
Built in the Roman-Byzantine style—featuring domes, polychrome stonework, gilded elements, and mosaics—the basilica perfectly embodies the architectural vision of the grand projects undertaken in Marseille during the reign of Napoleon III. The building consists of two parts: a lower church, a vaulted crypt that houses, among other things, a polychrome crucifix dating from the 16th-century chapel, a terracotta “Mater Dolorosa” by Carpeaux, and an upper church, the sanctuary, dedicated to the Virgin Mary (feast day and pilgrimage on August 15), where mosaics on gold backgrounds and polychrome marbles abound, giving it the appearance of a reliquary. Of particular note are the bronze doors and the high altar designed by Révoil, co-architect of the basilica; a silver Virgin by Chanuel; and an “Annunciation,” a polychrome faience bas-relief, a 16th-century Florentine work.
The numerous ex-votos displayed on the walls, suspended between the piers of the nave, constitute a veritable collection of naïve art, a charming chronicle of Marseille society and eloquent testaments to popular faith, dedicated to the one whom the people of Marseille of all faiths refer to as “the Good Mother.” The bell tower supports a monumental statue of the Virgin Mary. It was commissioned from the sculptor Lequesne, cast in bronze and gilded with gold leaf by the Christofle workshops in Paris, and installed in September 1870.
From the esplanade in front of the sanctuary, one can enjoy the most impressive view of Marseille and its surroundings.
Between 2001 and 2008, the exterior and interior decorations of the basilica—including mosaics and marble—as well as the crypt, were restored.
The walnut organ case, dating from 1926, was enlarged and modified by the Provençal organ workshop in 1981, reusing only a portion of the Merklin pipework. The voicing was carried out by Tricoteaux.
Masses in the basilica:
Monday: 7:25 a.m. – Live broadcast on KTO.
Tuesday through Saturday: Lauds at 7:25 a.m., followed by Mass – Live broadcast on KTO.
Saturday: 5:00 p.m.
Sundays and holidays: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 5 p.m.
In the crypt:
Monday through Friday: 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 12 p.m.
Sundays and holidays: 11 a.m.
La Garde Hill (154 m) has always served as a lookout point. Tradition holds that the watchtower has existed since prehistoric times, though it is more certain that it dates back to Roman times.
In the 15th century, an ordinance issued by Charles II of Anjou included La Garde Hill on the list of relay stations. This watch system was improved over the centuries, and the hill continued to serve this function until 1978. To protect Marseille from the armies of Charles V, led by the Constable of Bourbon, Francis I had a fort built in 1524 at the summit of the hill, which, together with the Château d’If at the entrance to the harbor, formed a maritime defense that the city had previously lacked. Today, one can still see the remains of the fort, which serves as the foundation for the current basilica, and make out (though it is now almost completely erased) above the north porch the emblem of the King: a salamander. But the Hill of La Garde took on its full significance—as a sacred and urban landmark—with the construction of the basilica in 1853. From then on, the building’s silhouette became inseparable from the image of Marseille. However, several churches and chapels preceded its construction. The first was built in 1214, when a hermit, Master Pierre, received permission to build on this land belonging to Saint-Victor Abbey.
Beginning in the 16th century, the chapel gradually became a center of devotion for sailors. The first votive offerings that sailors brought there date from this period. Thus, from that time on, the Garde Hill served a threefold purpose: a lookout post, a military fortification, and a place of worship and pilgrimage.
By the mid-19th century, the sanctuary had become too small to accommodate the many pilgrims who visited it. Bishop de Mazenod decided to build a large basilica there, dedicated to Our Lady of the Guard. The cornerstone was laid on September 11, 1853; the architect Espérandieu was commissioned to oversee the construction, and the consecration took place on June 5, 1864.
Built in the Roman-Byzantine style—featuring domes, polychrome stonework, gilded elements, and mosaics—the basilica perfectly embodies the architectural vision of the grand projects undertaken in Marseille during the reign of Napoleon III. The building consists of two parts: a lower church, a vaulted crypt that houses, among other things, a polychrome crucifix dating from the 16th-century chapel, a terracotta “Mater Dolorosa” by Carpeaux, and an upper church, the sanctuary, dedicated to the Virgin Mary (feast day and pilgrimage on August 15), where mosaics on gold backgrounds and polychrome marbles abound, giving it the appearance of a reliquary. Of particular note are the bronze doors and the high altar designed by Révoil, co-architect of the basilica; a silver Virgin by Chanuel; and an “Annunciation,” a polychrome faience bas-relief, a 16th-century Florentine work.
The numerous ex-votos displayed on the walls, suspended between the piers of the nave, constitute a veritable collection of naïve art, a charming chronicle of Marseille society and eloquent testaments to popular faith, dedicated to the one whom the people of Marseille of all faiths refer to as “the Good Mother.” The bell tower supports a monumental statue of the Virgin Mary. It was commissioned from the sculptor Lequesne, cast in bronze and gilded with gold leaf by the Christofle workshops in Paris, and installed in September 1870.
From the esplanade in front of the sanctuary, one can enjoy the most impressive view of Marseille and its surroundings.
Between 2001 and 2008, the exterior and interior decorations of the basilica—including mosaics and marble—as well as the crypt, were restored.
The walnut organ case, dating from 1926, was enlarged and modified by the Provençal organ workshop in 1981, reusing only a portion of the Merklin pipework. The voicing was carried out by Tricoteaux.
Masses in the basilica:
Monday: 7:25 a.m. – Live broadcast on KTO.
Tuesday through Saturday: Lauds at 7:25 a.m., followed by Mass – Live broadcast on KTO.
Saturday: 5:00 p.m.
Sundays and holidays: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 5 p.m.
In the crypt:
Monday through Friday: 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 12 p.m.
Sundays and holidays: 11 a.m.
Accessible for disabled
Opening period (s)From 01/01 to 12/12 daily between 7 am and 6 pm.
General information
- Parking :
- Parking nearby
- Coach parking
- Client profile :
- Groups
- Visits :
- you can visit it
- Price :
- Free
- Period :
- 19th C
- Information panel language(s) :
- Park :
- Calanques National Park
Services, Tours, Activities and entertainment
- Individual tour services :
- Unguided individual tours available permanently
- Guided individual tours on request
- Group tour services :
- Guided group tours on request
- Unguided group tours available permanently
- Entertainment :
- Entertainment
- Visit :
- Guided tours
- Shop :
- Shop
About
Wearing a mask is strongly recommended throughout the site and is mandatory inside the buildings (crypt, basilica, store, corridors etc.)
Contact
Notre-Dame de la Garde
Rue Fort du Sanctuaire
13007
Marseille
Phone : +33 4 91 13 40 80
- Spoken language(s) :
Prices
Free of charge.
Destination
Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde
Rue Fort du Sanctuaire
13007
Marseille
GPS coordinates
Latitude : 43.283887
Longitude : 5.371215