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Origin and history

The Old Major is the former cathedral of Marseille, built from the twelfth century on the foundations of a church of the fifth century. It embodies the evolution of Marseille Christianity, from the first testimonies of the 2nd century (such as the epitaph of FORTVNATVS and VOLVSIANVS) to its central role as episcopal seat from 314, under Bishop Oresius. The adjacent Baptistery, searched in the 19th century, reveals a diameter of 22 meters, making it the largest of Provence, used until the 12th century.

The present cathedral, rebuilt in the 12th century in pink stone of The Crown, adopts a Latin cross plan with an octagonal dome and a heptagonal apse. It includes Renaissance elements such as the altar of Saint Lazarus (1475–1481), carved by Francesco Laurana, and a bas-relief attributed to the workshop of Luca della Robbia. In the fifteenth century, a span was added, and the bell tower was erected in the fourteenth century. The panel of the choir, saved in 1794 by an Italian shipowner, is now in Italy.

Threatened by destruction in 1852 to give way to the new Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure, the Old Major is partially preserved thanks to the protests of the French Society for the Conservation of Monuments. Only the choir and a span remain, downgraded to parish church until the 1950s. Since 1994, reinforcement work (foundations, laying, pulling) has been aimed at stabilizing the building, classified as a Historic Monument since 1840. In 2015, a budget of EUR 1 million was allocated for its restoration, as part of Marseille-Provence 2013.

The history of the Old Major reflects the upheavals of Marseilles: medieval retreat on Saint-Laurent Hill after the barbaric invasions, episcopal rivalries with Arles and Aix-en-Provence (Vth century), and rehabilitation under the Viscounts of Marseilles (Xth–XI centuries). Its Baptistery, abandoned in the Middle Ages, and its paleo-Christian remains testify to its anchoring in late antiquity. Today, it symbolizes the historical stratification of the site, between Romanesque heritage and contemporary conservation challenges.

The interior decoration, marked by the altar of Saint Lazarus and the works of della Robbia, illustrates the Italian artistic influences in Provence. The cathedral, amputated by two spans in 1852, nevertheless retains unique elements such as its dome on trunks and its apsidioles. The 19th century excavations, conducted by Espérandieu, revealed the location of the Baptistery under the right collateral, confirming its central role in Marseille Christianity as early as the 5th century.

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