In Marseille, the Bonne Mère regains the splendor of its crown, marking the end of the construction site

After a spectacular helicopter lift operation, the re-gilded crown of the statue of the Good Mother, the tutelary figure of the city of Marseille, was returned to its place on Friday morning, October 17, under the gaze of curious onlookers, thus marking the end of the restoration work.

"It's the coronation of the Virgin Mary, but also the crowning of the construction site," Father Olivier Spinosa, rector of Notre-Dame de la Garde, enthuses to AFP.

The 150-kilogram, 1,50-meter diameter crown, entirely re-gilded with fine gold, was placed in a wooden crate, then strapped and transported by helicopter.

Before being screwed onto the top of the statue, a lead seal was placed to ensure the crown's watertightness. Then the headdress was delicately installed on the head of the monumental Virgin and Child at Notre-Dame de la Garde, the highest point in France's second-largest city, AFP journalists observed.

On August 13, for the first time since 1870, the crown of the Good Mother left the highest point of the basilica. After a meticulous restoration entrusted to a coppersmith from Aix, it returned to the sanctuary to be regilded by craftsmen from the Ateliers Gohard.

"Today, these are the final gestures of the companions who are at the top of the bell tower to put their final touches to the crown of the Virgin and the work will be finished," explains Xavier David, the project manager.

This major stage of the restoration project comes as the gilding is nearing completion, following the application in September of nearly 40.000 gold leaves to the statue of the Virgin and Child, protector of the Phocaean city.

The idea was to restore the shine it had lost due to the mistral, sea air and industrial pollution.

The scaffolding will soon be dismantled and the people of Marseille will have a clear view of the basilica again.

Before starting this work, the diocese of Marseille, owner of the building, had launched a donation campaign, asking individuals to finance one of the gold leaves needed for the work.

The work, which also involves the pedestal, the angels and the facades, will have cost around 2,8 million euros, including 2,2 million for the regilding alone.

The end of operations is scheduled for December 7.