The statue of the Virgin Mary that has kept watch over the French port city of Marseille and its seafarers for more than a century is getting a gold-leaf facelift.
The Madonna, holding the baby Jesus in her arms, stands atop Notre Dame de la Garde ("Our Lady of the Watch"), the church that has sat on the highest hill in France's second largest city since 1864.
Known locally as the Bonne Mère ("Good Mother"), she is 11.2 metres tall and her crown towers 225 metres above the Mediterranean Sea.
She received her last coat of gold leaf in 1989, but wind, the sea air and industrial pollution have taken their toll over the years.
"It's time to redo it," Xavier David, the architect in charge of the renovation, told RFI's Siam Spencer. "It's a delicate process, removing the old gold leaf, exposing the copper underneath and then applying a fresh layer."
Artisans will begin covering the statue with 30,000 new leaves of gold in August.
An overall restoration of the basilica is due to begin this month, at an estimated cost of €2.8 million. It may be a far cry from the €850 million needed to restore Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral after the devastating 2019 fire, but the Marseille diocese has similarly appealed for donations.
Billionaire shipping magnate Rodolphe Saade, local alcohol brand Pernod Ricard and the Olympique de Marseille football club are among the donors, with €1.3 million raised so far.
The diocese has also encouraged members of the public to help by donating €50 to cover the cost of a single gold leaf.
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Two million visitors
The basilica's popularity has grown in recent years, among locals and tourists alike.
“Twenty years ago there were 500,000 visitors. Ten years ago, it reached 1 million. And now we've surpassed 2 million visitors," said David. "That’s incredible for a small church perched on a little hill."
The church's rector Olivier Spinosa said: "When you arrive in Marseille, you can see [the statue] from far away. Many residents have, one day or another, turned to it to find a little respite, hope or joy."
Baptiste, visiting from Belgium, called the church "magnificent". "The colours inside and out are beautiful, and I found the overlapping arches really impressive,” he told RFI.
The "Bonne Mere" is the largest statue in the world to have been made using a technique called electroplating, which consists of plunging a plaster mould into a copper bath.
"Some 140 years later, the statue is still perfectly intact – as long as we give it some care every 25 to 30 years," David said.
Pope Francis visited the church in 2023 to offer prayers for the sailors and migrants who have lost their lives in the Mediterranean. Inside, small model boats hang from the ceiling – votive offerings from those seeking to protect loved ones at sea.
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Social media influence
Marseille has made headlines for its drug-related crime. But a rise in videos shared on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok has also positioned the city as a top tourist destination.
“The impact of social media is enormous,” said Marc Thépot, president of the Marseille Tourism Office. "Of course, the classics remain Château d’If, Notre-Dame de la Garde and so on. But there’s also Le Corbusier, the calanques, the corniche, the coastline… It’s a diverse city that welcomes everyone."
David, who was visiting the city from Indiana in the United States with his wife and young daughter, described the city as "breathtaking, magical... one of the most beautiful cities in the world".
Last month travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller listed Marseille as one of the 25 most beautiful places in the world to visit this year – the only French town to make the cut.
Protecting Marseille's beautiful bays from too many tourists
(with AFP)
