Marseille Cathedral ( French: ''Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure de Marseille'' or ''Cathédrale de la Major'') is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
cathedral, and a national monument of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, located in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
. It has been a basilica minor since 1896. It is the seat of the
Archdiocese of Marseille
The Archdiocese of Marseille (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Massiliensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Marseille'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France.bays of the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
were demolished in the 1850s, when the new cathedral was built. What remains is the
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
and one bay of the nave. It is commonly referred to as the "Vieille Major". The composer Charles Desmazures was organist at the old cathedral.
New cathedral
The present cathedral, the "Nouvelle Major", was built on an enormous scale in the Byzantine and Roman Revival styles. The foundation stone was laid by Emperor
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
in 1852 and the first service was held in 1893. It was completed in 1896, given the title of minor basilica, and consecrated in 1897. It was built on the site used for the cathedrals of Marseille since the fifth century, principally by the architects
Léon Vaudoyer
Léon Vaudoyer () (7 June 1803 – 9 February 1872) was a French architect.
Biography
Vaudoyer was born in Paris, the son of architect Antoine Vaudoyer.
He was one of the "romantic" Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts architects influenced by ...
and
Henri-Jacques Espérandieu
Henri-Jacques Espérandieu (22 February 1829 – 11 November 1874) was an architect who made his career in Marseille, France. He was responsible for some of the most famous buildings of the city, including the "Bonne mère", Notre-Dame de la Garde. ...
(1829-1874). It is 142 meters (469 ft) long, and the main cupola is 70 meters (231 ft) high. With a capacity of 3,000 seats, it is one of the largest cathedrals in France. It is a listed monument since 1906.
Gallery
File:Église de la vieille Major.JPG, The old Cathedral
File:Cathedralmajormarseille.jpg, Exterior of the new Cathedral
File:Marseille-Cathédrale-bjs180810-07.jpg, Interior of the new Cathedral
File:Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure de Marseille 01.jpg
File:Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure de Marseille 02.jpg
See also
* This cathedral should not be confused with the more famous basilica of
Notre-Dame de la Garde
Notre-Dame de la Garde (literally: Our Lady of the Guard), known to local citizens as ''la Bonne Mère'' (French for 'the Good Mother'), is a Catholic basilica in Marseille, France, and the city's best-known symbol. The site of a popular Assump ...
, also in Marseille.
*
List of works by Eugène Guillaume
The following is a list of works by French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume.
Works in cathedrals and churches
Beaux-arts de Paris, l'école nationale supérieure
Guillaume was a pupil of the school and won the 1845 Prix de Rom ...
*
List of works by Louis Botinelly
This is a listing of the major works of Louis Botinelly, a French sculptor born in Digne on 2 January 1883 and died in Marseille on 26 March 1962. His father was a mason, originally from Tessin in Switzerland, who had a workshop in Digne before the ...