Marseille, South of France

Train ride from Toulon to Marseille:

>> Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur <<

MARSEILLE:

No one spoke English, we couldn't find our way, we walked around trying to find someone that could give us some good directions. haha

We finally found the tourist information center, and got a map of the city and they told us what bus to catch to go up to the Notre-Dame de La Garde.

On the bus going up small narrow roads:

Chegamos! Finally arrived:

We could see the whole town:

The Basilica Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde is on the highest hill in Marseille, 162 meters above sea level, so it can be seen from most places in the city and the harbor. It is a colorful, friendly church nicknamed the “good mother”. Even secular people tend to like it and feel that it casts a protective aura over the city.

Marseille’s iconic figure, Notre-Dame de la Garde or “La Bonne Mère” watches over sailors, fishermen and the entire city. 
Visit Notre-Dame and enjoy the views from the top of the hill during your stay in Marseille.

Garde Hill (154m) has always been an observation post. A ruling by Charles II d'Anjou listed Garde Hill as a post house in the 15th century. This surveillance system improved over the years and the hill retained this role until 1978. To protect Marseille from Charles V’s armies led by the Duke of Bourbon, King François I built a fort in 1524 which, alongside Château d'If, made up the naval defence which the city lacked. You can still see the fort acting as a foundation for the current basilica and the King’s emblem above the northern entrance: the Salamander.


There were several chapels here before it was built. Garde Hill thus has three roles: a surveillance post, a military structure and a cult and pilgrimage site. 

The sanctuary had become too small for the number of pilgrims visiting it by the mid-19th century so Monseigneur de Mazenod decided to build the great Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica. The first stone was laid on September 11th 1853, work was awarded to the architect Henry Espérandieu and it was consecrated on June 5th 1864.

Its Roman-Byzantine style (domes, multi-coloured stones, gold, mosaic) perfectly matches the major building projects taken on in Marseille under Napoleon III. The building is in two parts; a vaulted low church with a crypt and a high church, the sanctuary devoted to the Virgin Mary (festival and pilgrimage on August 15th). The many votives displayed on the wall reflect the popular faith.

There’s a large statue of the Virgin Mary on the bell tower. It was made by the sculptor Lequesne in bronze with gold leaf in the Christofle studios in Paris and put in place in September 1870. 

Le musée d’art sacré  in Notre-Dame de la Garde opened in 2013 to tell the story of the basilica.

Olha a vista!!!

Right outside the Train Station:

We entered some Hotels, no one really spoke English.

We were a little bit lost for about 30 minutes, until we found the Tourism Information. 

Mas tudo é festa!

On the way to the Tourism Office, we stopped at a super cute store and I got my lavender handmade soaps. We also got to try a Madeilene at a cute cookie shop.

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