Announcement: New Prayer Books Available

Free Shipping | Visit the center

Our Lady of the Guard: Study of the Basilica

Notre-dame-de-la-garde
redacteur-chretien-Benoit

Written by Benoît Santos - Updated on Oct 26, 2024

Summary :

    What is the history of the guardhouse of Notre-Dame? What is its architecture and in which countries is the basilica located?

    We are interested in this topic to meet your needs. To give you an idea, here is the answer in brief:

    Also called the "Good Mother", Notre Dame de la Garde represents the emblematic figure of the city of Marseille. She takes care of sailors, fishermen and all the people of Marseille. For its exterior and interior architectural beauty, it is the most visited monument in Marseille.

    After reading this article, you will be able to:

    • Talk about the history of Notre Dame;
    • Approach its architecture;
    • Mastering devotion and recognition of Our Lady.

    If you enjoyed this Christian article and would like to learn more about the history of Notre Dame, here are several articles that might interest you:

    And here are several articles of prayers to the Virgin Mary that you can discover on our site:

    christian-library
    virgin-mary-jewelry

    History of Our Lady of the Guard

    The hill of La Garde, near Marseille, has long housed ecclesiastical institutions, although it was originally used as the location of a lighthouse. But as early as the 13th century, there was a chapel that existed until the end of the 18th century. After the French Revolution, the rich chapel was closed and the church treasures were confiscated for the benefit of the state.

    Representation of Notre-Dame de la Garde in the 18th century.

    our-lady-of-the-garden

    Services resumed in 1814, and over the next few decades the chapel underwent extensive reconstruction. But as early as 1850, plans for rebuilding the church were drawn up. Construction began two years later, but was delayed due to budgetary problems. A lottery was even held to finance the construction. But on June 4, 1864, the Notre-Dame de la Garde Cathedral was consecrated.

    Although the work was not completed at that time, the basilica was rebuilt in the years that followed. Finally, Notre-Dame de la Garde was completed in 1897. From 2001 to 2008, a large-scale reconstruction was also carried out, during which not only were routine repairs carried out, but the unique mosaic was also cleaned of dirt and grime.

    Architecture of Notre-Dame de la Garde.

    The style of Notre-Dame de la Garde is called neo-Byzantine. The basilica is small and consists of a bell tower, a central nave, a transept and a dome. At the same time, the interior decoration is very rich. The 11-meter gold statue at the top of the clock tower is particularly famous.

    The building itself is made of two types of stone: white limestone and green sandstone. It is located on a large hill, with a staircase leading to the entrance, divided in two by a small drawbridge.

    Above the entrance to the basilica is a tower measuring 41 metres on each side. The main part ends with a square terrace, on which a round bell tower rises. At the top of the bell tower is a huge statue of the Virgin Mary (11.2 metres), made of copper and covered in gold.

    The statue can be dismantled, as it was not possible to lift it in its entirety to bring it to the top of the hill. The gilding required 500 grams of gold.

    Close-up of the 11 m high Virgin Mary Close-up of the 11 m high Virgin Mary

    The nave of the church is not very large: it is only 32.7 meters long and 14 meters wide. The chapels frame the nave. The nave ends with the transept, after which is the apse. But this part is closed to visitors, because it contains an altar, a choir and a sacristy.


    INTERIOR FURNITURE.

    The relatively modest dimensions of Notre-Dame de la Garde are compensated by the richness of its decoration. The mosaics, which total more than 1,200 meters, occupy a prominent place. The floors are covered with Roman motifs that cover an area of ​​380 square meters.

    our lady-in-waiting

    Our Lady of the Guard and Marselha.

    For the locals, the basilica is the undisputed symbol of the city, which they call Bonne Mère, the Good Mother. The large processions during religious festivals are a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.

    Notre-Dame de la Garde: everything you need to know

    But now it is also a major tourist attraction, receiving about a million visitors a year. But many people do not enter the temple itself, but simply walk in, because the Garde hill is the best viewpoint in Marseille.

    Our Lady of the Guard.

    Sponsored by the City of Genoa

    History of the Basilica of Marseille.

    On August 29, 1490, Bento Pareto was a humble peasant from Livellato, a small village in the Polcevera Valley near Genoa, where he lived with his wife and two children.

    One morning, as usual, he was tending his sheep while waiting for lunch when, suddenly, a lady appeared to him, beautiful in appearance, bright as the sun, who spoke to him kindly: "Do not be afraid, O Benedito. I am Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ " and, pointing with his hand to the place, he said: "I want you to make me a chapel."

    Madam, replied Paretto, I am ready to do anything you entrust to me, but I am so poor, and to build on this mountain so high and so deserted will require so much effort and expense that I hope to be able to do it. Benedetto, said Maria, do not be afraid; with my help it will be easy for you. Thus concluded Paretus, I trust you, O my Lady, I will lay my hand on the task that has been entrusted to me.

    A miracle cure.

    Back home, the pastor, very moved, tells his family what happened and receives the answer that he is going crazy and that the whole city will laugh at him. In this context, Benedict decided to forget what had happened and continue living normally.

    our-lady-of-the-image-guardian

    A few days later, he was at the top of a fig tree when the branch he was on broke. Benedict fell heavily to the ground, breaking both his legs, and had to remain bedridden for several days. While he was convalescing, the Virgin reappeared and, in a gentle and delicate tone, repeated her request.

    Pareto was moved to see that his wounds had healed and that he was no longer in pain. This news spread throughout the village, arousing the astonishment and curiosity of its inhabitants and the surprise of his family.

    The construction of the sanctuary.

    With the help of his children and the neighborhood, Benedict XVI began construction of the chapel, a task in which the Ghersi family joined, contributing a large sum of money and a beautiful marble image for the altar, depicting Our Lady with the Child in her lap . . arms.

    When the temple was completed, the faithful began to arrive in large numbers. However, it was soon realized that this was not enough for such a large number of people. It was therefore decided to build a larger church, capable of receiving the large crowds that constantly came from northern Italy and even France.

    In 1530, construction began on a new sanctuary, which was replaced in 1890 by the current Great Basilica.

    Devotion to Our Lady of the Guard.

    Devotion to Our Lady of the Guard spread first in the Polcevera Valley, then in Liguria and finally throughout Italy, becoming the favorite invocation of the ancient Genoese navigators.

    In 1915, Pope Benedict XV elevated the sanctuary to the rank of minor basilica and also ordered that an image of Our Lady of the Guard be placed in the Vatican gardens. From Mount Figogna, devotion spread throughout the world, noting the sanctuaries of Piedmont, America and Africa belonging to the Little Work of Divine Providence, founded in Tortona.

    In Argentina, St. Louis Orione himself attributes to a miracle the fact that Bishop Francisco Alberti of La Plata granted him the abandoned church of Victoria, in the San Fernando district, so that he could begin his apostolate. "I came to Argentina to build her a church - he exclaimed when he saw the image of the Genoese Virgin in a wooden box, next to the altar - but she was much more diligent and gave it to me." In 1990, Archbishop Giovanni Canestri, Archbishop Emeritus of Genoa, placed under his auspices the diocesan mission which, two years later, was launched in the Guaricano district of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. Every August 29 , the church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Guard , patron saint of Genoa, when, according to tradition, she appeared near Livellato.

    Why the name "the guardian"?

    Know that it was an ancient custom among the Greeks and Romans and other peoples to place guard posts or traffic lights in the mountains, especially along the coast, which served to signal the approach of enemies in times of war, or of infected ships. in times of epidemics. Among these guards, the name "Guarda" derives from the very place where they were placed, and for this reason these places were designated "Cabo de la Guardia", "Monte de la Guardia", etc. This is perhaps also the name given to Monte Figogna, given its eminently strategic position and, consequently, the Sanctuary erected there.

    Over the centuries, Our Lady of the Guard has been a defense, a guard , a refuge for the Genoese in every danger, in every need, as evidenced by the desires and clocks of the Sanctuary and the unanimous voice of its faithful.

    Our Lady of the Guard of Marseille

    More information about the basilica.

    The Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard , often called the Good Mother, is a minor basilica dedicated to the Catholic cult in the French city of Marseille , in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. It is located between the Roucas Blanc and Vauban districts, at the top of a limestone peak at an altitude of 149 meters and rises thirteen meters above the foundations of an ancient fortress at the summit. South of Porto Velho, its silhouette, in neo-Byzantine style, crowned by a golden effigy of the Virgin Mary, is one of the most characteristic features of the city.

    OUR LADY OF THE GUARD: LOCATION.

    In the department of Bocas del Rhone. It is located between the neighborhoods of Roucas Blanc and Vauban, at the top of a limestone peak at an altitude of 149 meters and rises thirteen meters above the foundations of an ancient fortress that stood on top. South of Porto Velho, its silhouette, in neo-Byzantine style, crowned by a golden effigy of the Virgin Mary , is one of the most characteristic features of the city.

    OUR LADY OF THE GUARD: HISTORY.

    It was built by the Protestant architect Henri Espérandieu and is in the Romano-Byzantine style; it was consecrated on June 5, 1864 and replaced a chapel of the same name built in 1214 and rebuilt in the 15th century. It is built on the foundations of a fortress built by François I in 1536 to be the seat of Charles V, the basilica is composed of two parts: a low church or crypt, dug into the rock and in the Romanesque style, and a large Romanesque-style Temple, a Byzantine church located above, decorated with mosaics. At the top of the square bell tower, 41 m high and surmounted by a 12.5 m tower as a base, stands a monumental statue of the Virgin and Child. 11.5 metres high. The Marseille basin, which opens onto the sea to the west, is bordered to the north by the Etoiles massif and the Nerthe, to the east by the Sainte-Baume massif and to the south by Carpiagne and Marseilleveyre.

    This basin is a vast depression from which emerges a limestone outcrop "Urgonian" of the Barremian era, Cretaceous phase, according to the studies carried out on this outcrop where it is founded from the Basilica of Nossa Senhora da Guarda . It has a height of 162 m ; a quarry has been exploited on this hill since 1905, after the construction of the basilica; the quarry was exploited by Mr. Honoré and exploited until 1946. It is estimated that during this period a volume of 800,000 m³ was extracted. On the hill, which extended continuously towards the south towards the highest parts of the Gratte-Semelle district, the rue du Bois-sacré was opened by a wide, narrow and long trench, which the hill already had due to the extraction of wood.

    statue-of-our-lady-of-the-guard

    This artificial cliff was subject to significant monitoring, with regular visits, measurement of small displacements and preventive works to avoid landslides and landslides. For this, the gables were stabilized by means of deep holes in which a gripping element was injected, a gripping accelerator and a corrugated sheet screw of the required length for drilling was introduced. When the crystalline capsule containing the accelerator broke, the hardening process took place, leaving a large ball of cement adhering to the bolt at the bottom. A 30 x 30 cm steel plate was welded to the part of the screw that protruded from the hole and was used to tighten the screw with special machines. Finally, the area subject to collapse was covered with a mesh of steel wires fixed to the support by the screws themselves. Due to its location close to the coast and its altitude, "Cerro de la Guarda" was at the time of "navigation by estimation", that is, without instruments, a fixed and identifiable observation point and a reference point without the possibility of error and was used by maritime and defensive navigation; it is therefore assumed that it was occupied for a long time as an observation post and watchtower. that is, without instruments, a fixed and identifiable observation and reference point, without the possibility of error and which was used by maritime and defensive navigation; it is therefore assumed that it was occupied for a long time as an observation post and watchtower.that is, without instruments, a fixed and identifiable observation and reference point, without the possibility of error and which was used by maritime and defensive navigation; it is therefore assumed that it was occupied for a long time as an observation post and watchtower.

    • In 1302, Charles II of Naples ordered, in order to secure the signals along the Mediterranean coast of Provence, to include among these points that of the summit of Nuestra Señora de la Guarda . The Constable of Bourbon, Francis I, ordered in 1524 the construction of a fort that, together with the Château d'If, represented a maritime defense that, until that year, the city lacked. The basilica was built on top of this defensive fort and on the north portico you can still see a salamander that was the emblem of the king. Thus, Alto de la Guarda had three types of buildings and different functions: place of surveillance, military place and place of pilgrimage.

    • Walls of the old fortress

    On January 3, 1516, Louise of Savoy, the mother of Francis I, and her wife, Queen Claudia, daughter of Louis XII, traveled to the south of France to meet the young king, who was delighted with his victory at Marignan. On January 7, 1516, they went up to the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Garde and a few days later, on January 22, 1516, Francis I joined them and also visited the chapel. During this visit, the king realized that the city of Marseille was not well defended. The need to strengthen the defensive system became even more pressing in 1524 after the siege of the city by the constable Charles III of Bourbon, who had agreements with Charles I of Spain and who almost took the city. Francis I decided to build two forts: one on the "Ile d'If", which would become the famous Château d'If, and another at the top of the hill of La Garde which includes the chapel. It was an example of coexistence between a large army and a sanctuary open to the public.

    ARMS OF FRANCIS I.

    The construction of the "Château d'If" was very rapid, since it was completed in 1531, while the fort of Nuestra Señora de la Guardia was not completed until 1536, just in time to resist the arrival of Charles V's troops. Stones from Cap Corona, in the Bouches du Rhône, and materials recovered from the demolition of buildings outside the city walls that could have served as shelter for enemy troops were used to build the fortress. Among the monuments destroyed and the materials used for the construction of the fortress, we can mention the convent of the Friars Minor, where São Luís de Anjou was buried, which was later transferred to a place near the São Luís and Belsunce avenues. This fortress is shaped like an isosceles triangle with two sides measuring 75 meters and the third side 35 meters. The royal emblem is still visible to the west of the basilica in this fortress of rather modest importance. An orientation map has been installed at the top of this building. Above a door one can still see, although very damaged, the coat of arms of Francis I, that is to say the coat of arms of France with three fleurs-de-lys and a salamander below. Next to this door, on the right side, there is a round stone worn by time where one can see some traces of a sculpture representing the lamb, symbol of São João with a banner.

    NOTRE-DAME DE LA GARDE: THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CURRENT BASILICA.

    our-lady-of-the-guard-of-marseille

    The head of the chapel, Father Jean-Antoine Bernard, asked the Ministry of War on 22 June 1850 for permission to rebuild a large chapel. On 22 October 1850, the same day he left his ministerial duties, General de Hautpoul, Minister of War, found the request too vague and imprecise and granted an agreement in principle, but invited the "Commission" to present a more precise project. On 8 April 1851, a new project was drawn up for the construction of an even larger church, the size of the current buildings, and which did not foresee any future military use for all the buildings inside the fortress. With the support of General Adolphe Niel, the "Committee of Fortifications" issued a favourable opinion at the meeting of 7 January 1852. On 5 February 1852, the Minister of War granted permission to build a new chapel. Technical studies and financing for the project could be launched immediately.

    OR ARCHITECT OF THE ESPÉRANDIEU-ALLAR WORKS.

    On November 1, 1852, Bishop Eugène de Mazenod invited the faithful to make offerings to cover the expenses of this ambitious project. Studies and proposals were requested from several architects. The chapel council met on December 30, 1852 in the presence of Bishop de Mazenod. The project presented by Léon Vaudoyer, who worked on the Marseille Cathedral , was the only one to present a Byzantine Romanesque style building, while the others were in the Gothic style. Each project received five votes, but since the vicar's vote won, the project was awarded to Vaudoyer. The plans were in fact drawn by Henri-Jacques Espérandieu, his only 23-year-old student.

    On June 23, 1853, Espérandieu was appointed architect who would develop the project. Although he was Protestant, his religion does not seem to be a major cause of the difficulties encountered by the sanctuary committee responsible for carrying out the work. It was decided, without consulting the architect, not to begin the work, not to guarantee competence, but to entrust it on August 9, 1853 directly to Pierre Bérenger, contractor and architect of the Saint-Michel church, who had proposed a neo-Gothic project and who was a person very close to Bishop Mazenod.

    The commission also decided to impose the choice of artists such as the sculptor José Marius Ramus or the painter Karl Müller from Düsseldorf without having to worry about the suitability of their works to the chosen architecture. The choice of Karl Müller was not accepted by the artist himself, which allowed the architect to decide on the mosaic decoration.

    NOTRE-DAME DE LA GARDE: A COMPLEX BUILDING.

    our-story-guardian

    The laying of the first stone by the Bishop of Marseille, Mons. Eugène de Mazenod, took place on 11 September 1853. Work began, but slowly and with great difficulty because the foundations had to be laid in very hard rock, so that financial resources and difficulties quickly became apparent. In 1855, it was decided to hold a government-sanctioned lottery, but it brought in less than expected. Financial resources were insufficient, because the "sanctuary commission" decided to increase the extent of the crypt under the sanctuary so that it would extend not just under the choir, but under the entire upper chapel.

    Despite a loan granted thanks to a guarantee on the bishop's private property, the work had to be interrupted for two years, from 1859 to 1861, the year of Mons. Mazenod. The new bishop, Mgr. Patrice Cruice, who arrived at the end of August 1861, resumed the work. The generosity of citizens of all religions and social conditions since the time of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie de Montijo who visited Notre-Dame de la Garde allowed the work to be completed. The sanctuary was consecrated on Saturday, June 4, 1864 by Cardinal Villecourt, a member of the Roman curia, in the presence of forty-three other bishops. In 1866, the mosaic floor of the upper church was laid and the square bell tower was completed; the valve was installed in October of the same year.

    BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF THE GUARDIAN.

    In 1867, a cylindrical base was integrated into the square bell tower or "Campanile" to serve as a base for the monumental statue of the Virgin . The funding for the statue was carried out with the support of the city of Marseille. The sketches of the statue made by three Parisian artists , Eugène-Louis Lequesne , Aimé Millet and Charles Gumery, were examined by a jury composed of the architect Espérandieu, Bernex, mayor of Marseille, Jeanron, director of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Bontoux, professor at the School of Sculpture and Philippe-Auguste Jeanron, president of the civil court and administrator of the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de la Garde. The project was awarded to Lequesne.

    ARCHITECTURE OF THE BASILICA

    The general appearance of the building is characterized by its decorative elements, accredited by the use of colorful and highly contrasting materials: the limestone of Calissane whose whiteness contrasts with the green of the sandstone of Gonfolina, a stone of Florence. Inside the high church, nothing has been spared to celebrate the cult of the Virgin , except for colored marbles and polychrome mosaics. Access to the building was via a 35 m wide bridge leading to a drawbridge. From here, one directly accesses the crypt or, by stairs branching off on both sides, one directly accesses the entrance porch of the high church. The building is presented as a succession of volumes: porch and bell tower, nave with side chapels, transept, dome,

    Our Lady of the Guard: a short history

    One afternoon in the 13th century, a lone French fisherman was fishing near the port of Marseilles; before he knew it, a terrible storm had struck him. His boat was bouncing like a shell and filling with water faster than he could lift it, its rudder was lost and its mast broken. Cutting the rigging with a knife temporarily saved him from drowning. However, all seemed hopeless and he felt that he would never be able to return to port. The thought of the family he would never see again made him cast a despairing glance at the city, the huge rock that stands like a sentinel or lookout on the mountain above the city and the port.

    Vaguely in the darkness he suddenly saw the solitary figure of a woman, dressed in white, standing firmly on the rock. She seemed to be reaching out to him as if to help him find the shelter and safety of the harbor. At the same time it occurred to him that the lady who so calmly defied the wind and rain could only be the Holy Virgin, so he implored her to help him.

    Almost immediately his boat stopped its wild momentum, righted itself and, propelled by a friendly gust of wind, entered the calm waters of the bay until it reached the shore at the foot of the mountain. Walking toward the beach, the fisherman dropped to his knees and thanked the Blessed Virgin , then hurried home to join his worried family.

    Share your faith at Notre-Dame de la Garde

    Now you know everything about the origin of Notre-Dame de la Garde ! This basilica was built for many in Marseille for centuries. To this day, this basilica is a symbol of protection for the inhabitants of Marseille . 🙏

    Share :

    To write a comment