NOTRE-DAME-DE-LA GARDE Home Page An Astonishing Architectural Style... ...And Astonishing Particularities Our Lady of the Guard in numbers "Our Good Mother" from all directions Let's go Inside... A story of abiding tenacity living Faith To Welcome You FORUM A few books

As Our Lady of the Guard was destined to be out of the ordinary in all things, access to the basilica also had its own specific charm for 75 years, in the form of a hydraulic lift powered by a steam pump. The machinery installed in 1842, included two cabins which went up and down in a singular and prodigious symphonic uproar composed of the following sounds : - torrential roaring due to the filling and emptying of enormous water tanks situated under the cabins, whose weight regulated at every trip pulled one cabin downwards while the second was forced upwards - hissing from the steam pumps as they filled up the tanks - clanking from the huge rack and pinion gears - grinding from the brakes - shouts of fear from the passengers at the start, jostled by a violent vertical tremor accompagned by two successive horizontal shakes followed by worrisome vibrations. In addition there were the cries of the seagulls circling above in order to make away with the children's snacks.