A towering golden statue of the Virgin Mary, which has overseen the French port city of Marseille and its sailors for over a century, is set to undergo a gold-leaf restoration this summer. The statue, perched atop Notre Dame de la Garde—a church completed in 1864—sits on the highest hill in France’s second-largest city.
Known locally as the ‘Bonne Mere’ (Good Mother), the 11.2-metre statue was last covered in gold leaf in 1989 but wind, sea air and industrial pollution have ravaged her shiny surface in recent years. Architect Xavier David said he abseiled down the statue’s four sides in preparation for her renovation from February to December.
Artisans will be arriving in August to start covering the statue with 30,000 new leaves of gold. With the restoration to cost around 2.8 million euros (almost $2.9 million), the Marseille diocese has appealed for donations.
Billionaire shipping magnate Rodolphe Saade, local liquor brand Pernod Ricard and the Marseille football team are among donors, with 1.3 million euros raised so far. The diocese has also encouraged members of the public to chip in by donating 50 euros to cover the cost of a single gold leaf.
Source: The Economic Times
Picture Courtesy: barrons.com
