Sanctuary of Marseille's Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde

            Note the models of ships hanging from the sanctuary's ceiling.

Soon after Marseille had become part of France in 1481, the Italian Wars of 1494-1559 began between France's Valois kings and the Holy Roman Empire's Hapsburgs. Young French King Francis 1st, who in January 1515 succeeded his father-in-law Louis XII (and inherited the war), a year later led French forces to victory over Swiss defenders of Marignano in northern Italy. Visiting Marseille a year after his victory and discovering that it lacked the fortification common for French towns, Francis 1st contemplated eventual construction of a fort to protect Marseille. Nine years later—after Marseille had withstood a 1524 siege by Charles 5th, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire—Francis 1st hastened to build two fortresses in Marseilles: one on the island of If (Château d’If) and the other atop Marseille's tallest hill, Garde Hill (also known as Mont de la Bonne Mère). Garde Hill's fort enclosed a chapel that already stood there, and the chapel was thereafter called Notre-Dame de la Garde.

Three centuries later, the directors of Notre-Dame de la Garde asked architects to submit both neo-Gothic and neo-Roman proposals for the basilica, which was built during 1853-1897. The neo-Roman style designed by 23-year-old Jacques Henri Espérandieu, a Protestant, was chosen. Decorated later with Byzantine mosaics, the sanctuary is now commonly described as Romano-Byzantine.

After a cathedral in Marseille attended by sailors closed, the sailors began attending Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde; and their attendance gave rise to the nautical themes of wall art and ship models hanging from the sanctuary ceiling.

2017-03-13 Sanctuary of Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde GGP20947

Taken in: France / Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur / Arrondissement de Marseille / Marseille Vauban (show map)

Taken on: March 13, 2017

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Camera: Fujifilm X-T2, f/4.5, 1/45 sec, 14mm (=21mm), ISO 1600 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Fujifilm X-T2
Lens:	XF14mmF2.8 R
Aperture:	f/4.5
Exposure Time:	0.022 sec (1/45)
Focal Length:	14mm (35mm equivalent: 21mm)
ISO:	1600
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Capture One Pro 11.0 Windows
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