Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Cannat church, located in Place des Prêchers in Marseilles (1st arrondissement), was founded by the Dominican Brothers of Preaching. Dedicated to Saint Cannat, bishop of Marseilles around 486 it replaced a convent destroyed in 1524 during the siege of the city by Charles III of Bourbon. The first stone was laid on 31 December 1526 by Bernardin des Baux, but the works stowed until his consecration on 18 May 1619 by Bishop Barthélemy Camelin.

The baroque façade, built in 1739 by architect Joseph Gérard and sculptor Antoine Duparc, was partially destroyed in 1926 during the drilling of the Rue de la République. Only eight Doric columns and two statues of Dominican popes (Pius V and Benedict XI) remain, now degraded. Photographs of Adolphe Terris attest to missing elements, such as the Annunciation pediment.

Inside, the Gothic nave has seven collateral chapels, formerly dedicated to corporations. Notable works include paintings by Michel Serre, Pierre Parrocel, and Jean-Baptiste de Faudran (classified MH), as well as a gissant of Christ and woodwork. Since 2008, the church has hosted the Byzantine liturgy of the Romanian Orthodox metropolis.

The building was listed as a historic monument by order of November 2, 1926. The convent, rebuilt after 1524, disappeared in 1891 when the post office hotel was built. Today, the church remains a testimony to the urban transformations of Marseilles and its multi-faith religious heritage.

External links