One of Marseille’s best-known landmarks—the 35-foot high statue of Virgin Mary that stands on top of a church on the highest hill in the city—is set to shine brighter after it gets a new layer of gold leaf this summer.
The statue, locally called La Bonne Mere, or Good Mother, stands 225 meters above the Mediterranean Sea atop the church of Notre Dame de la Garde. The church and the statue were erected in 1864.
The church and statue are dedicated to the safety of sailors at sea, and is visible far out at sea. Inside, the church has many small model boats, hung as votive offerings for sailors at sea.
30,000 gold leaves, each worth about $50, are needed for the project, which is repeated every 35 to 40 years as weather wears the coating. Under the gold, the statue is copper; it’s the world’s largest statue made by electroplating, a process that involves dipping a plaster model into a bath of charged molten copper.
