Photo: Abbaye St Victor Marseille

The 12th century Abbaye St Victor in the city of Marseille on the Cote Bleue in Provence, France in Europe.

The Abbaye St Victor in Marseille on the Cote Bleue in Provence, France looks more like a fortress than a church located on a hill looking down on the Vieux Port. The Abbaye St Victor started as part of a 5th century monastery, but after the Saracens destroyed it, a bigger church was built and fortified because it was located outside the walls of the city.The rebuilding of the Abbaye St Victor was started in the 10th century and took almost two hundred years to complete. During the French Revolution it was used as a prison and barracks by the rebels.The crypt of the Abbaye St Victor in Marseille, Provence is actually more interesting than the church above it. Not only is the crypt larger it has side chapels, secret passages, impressive arches and tombs of two 4th century martyrs - and a 3rd century sarcophagus. Abbaye St Victor also is the venue for the annual sacred music festival of Marseille and an annual pilgrimage takes place each February 2nd to commemorate the arrival 2,000 years ago of St Mary Magdalene, Lazarus and St Martha. ... continue below the picture...

... Abbaye de St Victor seen from the Notre Dame de la Garde, ND de la Garde in the city of Marseille, Bouches du Rhone, Cote Bleue, Blue Coast, Mediterranean, Provence, France, Europe.