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Notre-Dame de la Garde

Notre-Dame de la Garde is a minor Catholic basilica atop a 149-metre limestone outcrop south of Marseille's Old Port, in the Roucas Blanc and Vauban districts. Popularly known as 'la Bonne Mère', it is the city's most recognisable symbol and its most visited site, with around one and a half million visitors a year. The building, in Romanesque-Byzantine style and the work of architect Henri-Jacques Espérandieu, was consecrated in 1864 and consists of two parts: a lower church or Romanesque crypt cut into the rock, and an upper Neo-Byzantine church decorated with mosaics. Atop the 41-metre bell tower stands a monumental 11.2-metre statue of the Virgin and Child, made of gilded copper sheet. The basilica was built on the foundations of a fortress erected by Francis I in 1536, of which the royal spur to the west and a salamander above the north portal still survive; it is the only known example of a military fort sharing space with a sanctuary open to the public. The building is reached via a 35-metre-wide bridge leading to a drawbridge that is still raised at night. Inside, the coloured marbles — red from Brignoles and white from Carrara — and the mosaics, restored between 2001 and 2008, stand out. The hill, classified as a 'protected natural site' since 1917, offers a panorama over Marseille and the Mediterranean, and since the Middle Ages the sanctuary has been regarded as the guardian of seafarers and fishermen, who left votive offerings in thanks for shipwrecks avoided.

Things to do at Notre-Dame de la Garde: 10 missions

• Visit Notre-Dame de la GardeVisit Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille and get to know the place in person.
• Look at the coat of arms of François INotice the badly worn coat of arms of François I above the door.
• Explore the Romanesque-style cryptDiscover the lower church or crypt, Romanesque in style and carved from the rock.
• Look at the rounded stoneLook at the rounded stone, worn by time, that once depicted the lamb of John the Apostle with its banner.
• Take in the views from the terraceStay on the terrace and admire the beauty of the views.
• Explore the fortExplore the modest fort still visible on a spur west of the basilica.
• Enjoy the drawbridgeEnjoy the drawbridge during your visit to Notre-Dame de la Garde. Check the activity's conditions.
• Visit the Neo-Byzantine-style upper churchDiscover the upper church, Neo-Byzantine in style and decorated with mosaics.
• Look at the statue of the Virgin of the BouquetView the statue of the Virgin of the Bouquet, currently displayed on the altar of the crypt.
• Look at the mosaics in the upper churchView the marble and pictorial mosaics in various colours that decorate the upper church.

Near Notre-Dame de la Garde

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