Marseille,
Wednesday 15 May 2013 -
12:47
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Saint-Victor abbey
Traces of history.
Founded around 415 by Jean Cassien, the Saint-Victor abbey in Marseille was a notable religious centre before being destroyed in the 8th century by barbarian invasions. From the end of the 12th century to the 13th the abbey would be entirely rebuilt according to the regulations of Roman builders.
It was Guillaume de Grimoard, then abbot of Saint-Victor, who ensured the abbey’s fortification. The Revolution would transform the church into a filling station, a prison and later a barracks, thanks to which would escape demolition.
The famed abbaye Saint-Victor would return to religion under the first empire and be restored in the 19th century. The church became minor basilica in 1934, an initiative of Pope Pius XI.
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