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2mo ago

Gilded Crown Returned by Helicopter to Marseille’s Notre-Dame de la Garde

The donation-funded €2.5–€2.8 million restoration enters its closing stage with scaffolding set to come down before an early December unveiling.

Des ouvriers remettent en place la couronne dorée de la statue de la Bonne Mère, à Marseille, le 17 octobre 2025
À Marseille, la Bonne Mère retrouve sa couronne restaurée sous le regard ému des habitants
Les grands travaux de restauration de la basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, à Marseille, doivent se terminer en décembre 2025.
À Marseille, c’est une nouvelle étape dans la restauration de Notre-Dame de la Garde. Vendredi 17 octobre, un hélicoptère est venu déposer la couronne redorée qui n’avait jamais quitté la Bonne Mère depuis 1870.

Overview

  • The crown was reinstalled on the morning of October 17 after a helicopter hoisted a wooden crate to the summit, where a lead joint was placed and the piece was screwed into position.
  • The piece measures about 1.50 meters across, weighs roughly 150 kilograms, and was fully regilded with fine gold leaf by Ateliers Gohard after metalwork repairs in Aix-en-Provence.
  • The crown had been removed on August 13 for the first time since 1870, then flown back from Marignane by a SAF Hélicoptères Super Puma for the final placement.
  • Regilding involved tens of thousands of gold leaves on the statue, with around 750 on the crown, to restore luster lost to wind, sea spray and pollution.
  • Authorities set up traffic restrictions and a safety perimeter as residents gathered to watch; scaffolding removal begins next week, with completion targeted for early December through largely donor-funded work.