Cathédrale de la Major (Marseille Cathedral), Marseille (must see)

The Marseille Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary Major, unites two eras of faith and architecture. The site includes both the Old Marseille Cathedral, dating to the 12th century, and the New Marseille Cathedral, constructed under Emperor Napoleon III in the late 19th century. Napoleon ordered the older Provençal Romanesque building replaced but preserved part of it—the choir and one bay of the nave—after public protests over its demolition.

The New Marseille Cathedral dominates the waterfront with its vast Romanesque-Byzantine Revival design. Stretching 469 feet in length, with a main dome reaching 231 feet in height, it can hold about 3,000 worshippers. Its façade alternates bands of white and dark stone, a combination of Florentine limestone and Ligurian green porphyry, producing a striped pattern affectionately nicknamed “the Pajamas” by locals. Inside, the cathedral reveals a rich blend of imported materials: white Carrara marble from Italy, onyx from Tunisia, and dazzling Venetian mosaics that illuminate its chapels and domes.

Beside this grand 19th-century structure lie the remains of the Old Cathedral, a humble yet evocative remnant of Marseille’s medieval heritage. The surviving chancel and apse feature smaller side chapels and a cylindrical vault crowned with octagonal and heptagonal domes. Archaeological traces beneath the site even reveal earlier Christian structures dating to the 5th century, showing that this location has been a place of worship for over fifteen centuries.

A visit to Marseille Cathedral offers not just architectural splendor but also some of the best panoramic views of the port and the Mediterranean. Rising between sea and city, the cathedral stands as both a symbol of continuity and a beacon of faith—undeniably one of Marseille’s must-see attractions.