Statue de Monseigneur de Belsunce
MonumentHidden Treasure
Statue de Monseigneur de Belsunce, located in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.2992, 5.3918
- Mérimée Reference
- PA13000130
Erected in the heart of Marseille, the statue of Monseigneur de Belsunce celebrates the hero of the Great Plague of 1720, an indissociable symbol of Marseilles' devotion and memory.
History
At the crossroads of Marseilles' collective memory and civic tribute, the statue of Monseigneur de Belsunce is one of the most emotionally-charged monuments in the city. It represents Henri-François-Xavier de Belsunce de Castelmoron, the bishop of Marseille whose name will forever be associated with the health catastrophe of 1720, when the bubonic plague devastated the city and wiped out more than half its population in just a few months. What makes this monument truly singular is the nature of the person it honours: not a general, not a king, but a prelate who chose to stay with his flock at the risk of his own life, walking the infected streets, comforting the dying, organising relief efforts with an ardour that won the admiration of the whole of enlightened Europe. The statue embodies this exemplary moral stance in bronze or stone, making Belsunce an icon of Christian sacrifice and charity. To visit this statue is to pause for a moment in the frenetic flow of the great Mediterranean city to take the measure of a tragedy that reshaped Marseille demographically and psychologically for generations. The location chosen in the urban fabric of Marseilles is never insignificant: it is part of the city's topography of memory, within easy reach of the districts that were at the heart of the epidemic. The Marseilles setting - bright Provençal sunlight, Mediterranean atmosphere, proximity to the Old Port - gives the work a particularly striking presence. For the attentive walker, this statue is as much an invitation to historical contemplation as it is a reflection on what courage means in the face of absolute adversity.
Architecture
The statue of Monseigneur de Belsunce belongs to the repertoire of French commemorative sculpture as it flourished mainly in the nineteenth century, in the wake of the major public commissions initiated under the July Monarchy and the Third Republic. This type of work obeys well-established formal codes: a full-length or bust-length figure, treated in idealised realism, perched on an architectural pedestal that raises it above the gaze of passers-by and gives it an almost sacred solemnity. The effigy of Belsunce was probably executed in bronze, the material of choice for durable monuments exposed to the Mediterranean weather. The bishop is depicted in his episcopal attributes - crosier, mitre or camail - in a posture that combines the dignity of the office with the impetus of the charitable gesture, characteristic of heroic statues from this period. The pedestal, made of limestone or carved granite, is probably adorned with commemorative inscriptions recalling the dates and spiritual deeds of the prelate. The work was integrated into the urban space of Marseilles in accordance with the principles of Haussmann-style public statuary: an unobstructed location, offering views of the sculpture from several traffic routes, allowing the work to interact with its built environment and visually structure the square or boulevard where it is located.
Related Figures
Henri-François-Xavier de Belsunce de Castelmoron — évêque de Marseille, héros de la Grande Peste de 1720Jean-Baptiste Gault — son prédécesseur à l'évêché, mort lui aussi de la peste lors d'une épidémie antérieurele chevalier Roze — officier de marine qui, comme Belsunce, resta à Marseille pour organiser l'enlèvement des corps durant la peste de 1720Guillaume Deidier — médecin marseillais qui accompagna l'évêque dans ses visites auprès des pestiférésLouis XV — roi de France qui suivit avec attention la gestion de la crise et dont les lettres-patentes encadrèrent les mesures sanitairesle Grand Saint-Antoine — navire emblématique dont la cargaison introduisit la peste à Marseille en mai 1720
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Statue de Monseigneur de Belsunce located?
Statue de Monseigneur de Belsunce is located in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Statue de Monseigneur de Belsunce built?
Statue de Monseigneur de Belsunce dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Statue de Monseigneur de Belsunce open to visitors?
Statue de Monseigneur de Belsunce is currently closed to visitors.