Les Chartreux Church

THE CHURCH OF THE CHARTREUX THROUGHOUT HISTORY

The church of Sainte Marie Madeleine des Chartreux was previously the chapel of a monastery of the Carthusian order, which gave its name to the 4th district of Marseille.

The reason for the location is explained because it was at the time on the outskirts of the city and had an area of cultivable land near the Jarret stream. The first stone was laid on September 8, 1633, by Marshal de Vitry, then Governor of Provence. If the construction began in 1633, funded by donations from numerous aristocratic families. This church of Marseille started in 1680. It was completed with the consecration of the Bishop of Marseille in 1702. It is one of the oldest churches in Marseille. The monastery consisted of 2 cloisters: one located behind the Church of the Chartreux and a larger one, which was never completed. The Chartreux monastery then extended over nearly 11 hectares, and the church is one of the largest built under Louis XIV.

The Carthusian Order and the end of the monastery

The Carthusians are the strictest order of the Church. Founded by St. Bruno in 1084, the Carthusian Community has the particularity of living both in community and as hermits. While they live together, the monks speak to each other as little as possible. They also have little contact with the population and do not open the doors of their monasteries to the public. The monastery reached its peak in the 17th century, and the monks had a peaceful existence until the Revolution in 1703.

The period of the Revolution marked a turning point for the monastery. Indeed, monastic vows were declared contrary to the Declaration of the Rights of Man and banned. The fifteen monks of the Carthusian community were dissolved. In 1790, the land was divided and sold at auction.

The church of the Chartreux

In 1883, the painting "The Apotheosis of Saint Mary Magdalene" by Michel Serre was installed in the choir of the church. It is the only painting from the monastery that could be saved. The Church of the Chartreux found a second life with the increase in population in the second half of the 19th century. At that time, the mayor of the time pressed a commission to study the problem of lack of space in order to find a solution quickly. The adopted solution was to pierce the arches that separated the nave from the side aisles.

In 1952, the blast from an adjacent oil mill broke the stained glass windows of the side aisles. This degradation led to restoration work on the church.

Despite its massive, austere appearance, it contains magnificent stained glass windows and an organ as massive as it is impressive. A peristyle 28.60 m wide is supported by 8 columns 10.60 m high, 8 pedestals are present above the columns. They were supposed to receive statues but, due to lack of means, they could not be installed on them. The facade of the church measures 31 m. The nave is very impressive with its 27 meters in height.

The church of the Chartreux today

Although located outside the usual tourist circuits, the Church of the Chartreux is worth a visit as it is a masterpiece of 17th-century Marseille classical art. It is a peaceful place, making the Church of the Chartreux the ideal place for prayer in Marseille. It is often compared to that of the Vieille Charité because they were built at the same time.

Did you know that the French writer Marcel Pagnol lived in the Chartreux district? His father was actually a teacher at the Collège des Chartreux.

If you come to visit Marseille, make a detour to the Chartreux, where you can admire this Church steeped in the History of Marseille.