Dany from Poitiers sends a great card from Marseille and the Notre Dame de la Garde (Our Lady of the Guard). The Notre Dame de la Garde is a Catholic basilica in Marseille and the city's best known symbol. It is located at the highest point in Marseille. The plans were made by architect Henri-Jacques Espérandieu. The still unfinished basilica was consecrated on 5 June 1864. The bell tower is 41 metres high and there is a 11.2 metre statue of the Madonna and Child. A major restoration on the basilica took place between 2001-2008. Mosaics that were damaged by candle smoke were cleaned up. Pollution that had corroded the green limestone was repaired. Bullet holes in stonework from the Liberation of France were also repaired.
Notre Dame de la Garde receives about 1.5 million visitors each year. Some are tourists to check out the Cathedral, others to check out the incredible view, and others are pilgrims.
Poitiers is a city of almost 90 000 people and has an ancient history. In 1431 the Université de Poitiers was opened and some notable people have studied and taught at the university such as René Descartes, French philosopher and mathematician; Joachin du Bellay, French poet and critic; and
François Rabelais, a French writer and physician, as well as a Renaissance humanist. Dany used a cool Napoleon stamp on the card!
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