On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, come and discover the Saint-Louis church in Marseille (1935). Registered as Historical Monuments and benefiting from the label "Remarkable Contemporary Architecture" of the Ministry of Culture, the monument is identified as "the most interesting building of Catholic worship built in Marseille in the 20th century" (C. Massu).
Jean-Claude Gautier, who managed the collective work released in 2020 on the building, will offer continuous visits on Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 2 to 6:30 pm and a sale on site of the work.

Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm:
Presentation and visit of the St-Louis church in Marseille
with Jean-Claude Gautier, co-author of a book on its architecture (see below)
As part of the European Heritage Days
. Modalities: Continuous visits; open to all; free entry
. Location: Eglise St-Louis: 20 chemin de Saint-Louis au Rove 13015 MARSEILLE (Access: bus line 70 recommended from rue des Fabres 13001)
. Partners: Event organized by the publisher MALTAE, JC Gautier and MAV PACA in partnership with Hôtel du Nord. Thanks to Father Benjamin Goirand for his welcome at the St-Louis church
. Book for sale on site;

PUBLICATION
THE CHURCH SAINT-LOUIS DE MARSEILLE, A MEMORY IN THE MAKING
The Saint-Louis district in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille has an exceptional church at 20 chemin de Saint-Louis au Rove.
Under the episcopate of Bishop Dubourg (1928-1936), Father Gabriel Pourtal initiated the project that replaced the old church. He asked the architect Jean-Louis Sourdeau (1889-1976), author of the church Notre Dame de Rocquigny (1929-1932) to design this masterpiece of the architectural heritage of Marseille still unknown whose structure and vault are made of reinforced concrete according to Hennebique processes.
This church, built between 1933 and 1935, is part of a project to rechristianize a highly industrialized district with a large foreign population. This will to reconquer the faithful goes through this imposing architectural achievement where takes place an exterior and interior iconographic ensemble consequent: a crucified Christ, adoring angels and a monumental archangel Gabriel by Carlo Sarrabezolles, a low relief of Sainte-Fortunée by Louis Botinelly, a Way of the Cross by Jac Martin-Ferrières, glass paving stones as stained glass around King Saint Louis and a luminaire in the shape of a crown of thorns. The association Fraternity Saint-Louis was created in 2004 to defend and safeguard the church and this heritage.
After the war, two monumental posters were installed on both sides of the choir and between 2000 and 2013, the only two religious works by Vasarely and his son Yvaral (Christ and Saint Peter) stayed there from 2000 to 2013 and closer to us a painting of The Holy Trinity by Maria del Carmen Villaveces.
"In Saint-Louis, every effort is made to give meaning to the social and spiritual message of the 1930s. The church embodies a fine example of the syntèse des arts of this period when the commitment of a generation of artists was able to renew the art of the Church." (Christine Blanchet)

Under the direction of Jean-Claude Gautier, a multidisciplinary team undertook the realization of a work centered on the pre-war period to highlight the wealth of this church by not omitting the religious and economic context of this time.
Texts: Claude Massu, Christine Breton, Samia Chabani, Anaëlle Chauvet, Marina Sanchez, (Association Ancrages), Sophie Audibert, Robert Maumet, Eve Roy, Laurent Noet, Christine Blanchet, Georges Tortel, Jean-Claude Gautier, Laure Van Ysendyck.
Photos: Patrick Box, Léopold Farfantoli, Pierre-Michel Gautier, Xavier de Jauréguiberry, Olivier Liardet, Florence Portemer

Church registered on the additional inventory of historical monuments since 1980 - Label «ACR/ Patrimoine XXe» in 2001

PUBLICATION for sale on site:
Editions MALTAE.org (maltae2@gmail.com)
128 pages, more than 110 illustrations including some unpublished, format 21x28 cm 25 euros
ISBN-13 978-2-912433-19-0

USEFUL LINKS
. The Maltae publisher site: www.maltae.org
. The Birds of Passage site: https://lesoiseauxdepassage.coop/creations/1973-l-eglise-saint-louis-de-marseille-une-memoire-en-devenir/