NOTRE-DAME-DE-LA GARDE
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An Astonishing
Architectural Style...
...And Astonishing
Particularities
Our Lady of the Guard
in numbers
"Our Good Mother"
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A story of abiding tenacity
living Faith
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For symbolic as well as strategic reasons, among their primary objectives, Goislard de Monsabert ordered his men to raise the French flag on Our Lady of the Guard.
At first, the German soldiers dug in at the top of the hill defended themselves energetically, then gave up the idea of dying for Hitler and surrendered.
But from other elevated points in the city the German artillery pieces which had not yet been captured starting shelling the basilica over which a big French flag was flying. The sight of this flag had made the inhabitants of Marseilles jump for joy.
It took a week of fighting to liberate Marseilles, which was a long time compared to the lighting war which characterized the three weeks of the Battle of Provence.
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On the northern slope of Our Lady of the Guard the French tank " Joan of Arc" has been left in place. It received a direct hit from German artillery on August 25th, 1944 as it was moving up to attack the basilica fortifications. |
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Other marks have been kept in memory : machine gun bullet impact points on the north wall, and a shot which hit a few centimeters above Saint John's head |  |
Today the German people are our friends , and the best homage to be paid to the heros of Free France is to say : "Never again ! Long live peace and friendship among the peoples !"
Furthermore here is something to think about for the minority of Marseilles inhabitants who might be tempted by anti-Arab racism : native Algerian infantry also fought near the Joan of Arc and other tanks during the hill attack under General de Monsabert.
Several of those Algerians died along with French officers and soldiers : Muslims gave their lives to liberate "Our Good Mother", and that is part of the rich and varied personality of Marseilles.
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