The crown of the 9,796 kg statue of Our Lady of the Guard in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde will be returned to the Blessed Mother on October 17, following a month-long restoration. The basilica, which overlooks the city of Marseille in France, is the city’s most iconic symbol and its most visited site.
The current basilica stands at the highest natural point in Marseille, on a site where a chapel was first erected in 1214. Construction of the present basilica began in 1852 under Bishop Mgr Eugene de Mazenod, and it was consecrated in 1864. The statue of Our Lady of the Guard, affectionately known by locals as the “Good Mother”, was created in 1870 by sculptor Eugene Lequesne and has stood atop the bell tower ever since.
The basilica underwent extensive renovations over a decade beginning in 2002. The restoration of the statue of the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus has been underway for over a month. Skilled artisans have completed the restoration and gilding of the statue in gold.
The crown was removed from the 9.72-meter-tall Virgin Mary after more than 150 years and taken to Aix-en-Provence for restoration. It has now returned to the basilica, where it will be on public display on October 11 and 12. The gilding work on the crown will begin on October 13, and visitors will have the rare opportunity to watch the process live. On October 16, the fully restored crown will be exhibited before being placed back on the statue on October 17. Extensive preparations have been made ahead of the recrowning, which will be carried out with the assistance of a helicopter.