CATHEDRAL DE LA MAJOR (EN)
Where are we? 10 Place de la Major, 13002
Historical and chronological situation: Period of strong economic, social and demographic growth in the 19th century.
Introduction: The Cathedral was built with the aim of representing the power of the city of Marseille for those arriving from the sea. Called La Majeur by Marseilles and one of the city's most emblematic monuments.
History: Is this Cathedral, built in the 19th century, similar in size to the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, making it one of the largest churches in France. Its style is Byzantine and its construction spans 40 years, between 1852 and 1893, when Marseille was the first port of France and served as a port of call for ships from all over the world. In addition, it is the only one to be built in this century in France. The final dimensions of the Cathedral of the Major make it one of the largest cathedrals in the world: 142 meters long, its towers 60 meters high, its nave of 20 meters and its central dome that rises to 70 meters in height and more than 17 meters in diameter. It bears witness to the history of Marseille and was declared a historical monument in 1906.
The Cathedral is composed of two superimposed churches - the old and the new. The old one is the oldest church in the city (built in the 4th century before being rebuilt in the 11th and 12th centuries following the attacks carried out by the Saracens). As for the new cathedral, his first Stone was laid by Napoleon III himself. After construction, a 4th century Paleo-Christian baptistery was discovered that could explain the altar and the ornamentation of mosaics.
The architectural style is romanesque with pink stones from the quarries of The Crown. It consists of a choir, a vault with a dome and a half dome. The bell tower was later added. She has oriental styles too. Inside you can enjoy Byzantine arches, statues and beautiful mosaics. The materials chosen are at the height are some like white Carrara marble, porphyry, onyx from Italy and Tunisia, mosaics from Venice and green stones from Florence.
Sainte-Marie-Majeure has 7 statues under the arches that represent Jesus surrounded by three of his apostles: Peter, Paul and Lazarus, and 3 of his disciples Martha, Maximin and Mary Magdalene. Finally, on the esplanade is the statue of Monsignor de Belsunce, an emblematic figure of the period of the Great Plague that struck Marseille in 1720.
Several architects participated in the construction of the cathedral. Leon Vaudoyer, father of historicism, designed the Latin cross plan in a Romano-Byzantine style. In 1872, Henri Esperandieu replaced him (also architect of Notre-Dame de la Garde and the Palais de Longchamp) until 1874 when he was himself.
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