Witness the grandeur of Église Saint-Matthieu. This church stands proudly in Château-Gombert a district of Marseille. Its history stretches back centuries far beyond its current 17th-century structure.
Before the current Église Saint-Matthieu stood another church dedicated to Saint Mitre. Records from 1113 and 1153 mention this earlier building. Sadly this older church vanished. It likely succumbed to destruction during sieges in 1524 and 1536. Only the nearby Saint-Mitre district holds its memory.
In 1595 Château-Gombert joined Marseille. The community decided to build a new church. This new church was dedicated to Saint Matthew. Unfortunately the initial construction proved inadequate. Bishop Gaspard de Vintimille du Luc banned masses there in 1685.
A new church was then commissioned in 1686. Two masons Pierre Blanc and his son from Allauch undertook its construction. The building was completed in 1688. A detailed expert report from the following year confirms the existing church structure dates to that time. The bell tower was already finished.
Inside local artists embellished the church. The brothers François and Pierre Bernard created the altar and pulpit. François Puget painted a striking altarpiece depicting Saint Matthew’s vocation. In 1756 an ornate wrought-iron campanile topped the bell tower. Remarkably one of the church’s bells survived the Revolutionary seizures.
In 1707 Église Saint-Matthieu became a parish one of eight in Marseille. The French Revolution caused its closure. In 1794 the church was emptied. Only the pulpit and an Ecce Homo statue remained. It served as a meeting place for the revolutionary section of Gombert until its reopening.
After the Concordat of 1801 the church regained some of its confiscated possessions. This explains its impressive collection of 17th and 18th-century paintings. These are classified as national monuments. The clergy have carefully preserved this heritage. Saint Eugène de Mazenod consecrated the church on July 13 1834.
Today Église Saint-Matthieu boasts a single nave with five side chapels. It measures 31 meters long 13.5 meters wide and 13 meters high. Admire the exceptional Provençal paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. These masterpieces include Louis Finson’s Resurrection of Lazarus and François Puget’s Vocation of Saint Matthew. Michel Serre’s Purgatory Agony of Mary Magdalene and Franciscan Saints before the Virgin add to the artistic treasures.
Numerous statues grace the church including a bust of Saint Matthew by Albert Duparc and an 18th-century Ecce Homo. A collection of reliquaries completes the interior’s beauty. The recently restored Collet organ has 18 stops. Five bells ring from the bell tower. The oldest dates back to 1756.
Église Saint-Matthieu’s story echoes the history of Marseille. It is a testament to faith resilience and artistic excellence. Its enduring beauty invites contemplation and reflection.