Imagine a small oratory once stood proudly where we are now. This is the story of Oratoire Saint Honorat. The Oratoire Saint Honorat’s tale is closely linked to a nearby route. This route is called Montée de l’Oratoire.
The Montée de l’Oratoire got its name from this very oratory. The Montée de l’Oratoire is a road in Marseille. It spans the 6th and 7th arrondissements. The Montée de l’Oratoire stretches from Boulevard André-Aune to Montée de la Bonne-Mère.
Now envision the past. The Montée de l’Oratoire was once called Chemin de Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. It served as the primary path to Notre-Dame de la Garde. The Montée de l’Oratoire led from Rue Fort-Notre-Dame and Rue des Brusques. It cut across Cours Pierre-Puget. The Montée de l’Oratoire then followed the stairs beneath number 2 Boulevard André-Aune.
Let’s focus on the Oratoire Saint Honorat. It stood on what is now Place du Colonel-Édon. The Oratoire Saint Honorat was a small structure. Four columns formed a square. They supported a four-sided roof. A stone block sat at the center. It served as a resting place. This was during the processions of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde.
Picture this scene. The statue of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde completed its tour of the city. The weary Pénitents Blancs needed respite. The Oratoire Saint Honorat was built for them in 1817. They could rest here.
Sadly the Oratoire Saint Honorat did not last. The Oratoire Saint Honorat was destroyed in the late 19th century. Processions were banned. Yet the name Oratoire lingered on. It became associated with the Montée de l’Oratoire.
Let’s delve deeper into the area’s past. The Théâtre de l’Oratoire also known as Théâtre de la Colonne was once near the Oratoire Saint Honorat. A man named Babo owned a garden there. Babo made sabots or wooden shoes. His garden opened in the 1820s.
The Montée de l’Oratoire gained official recognition on April 28 1855. It became part of Marseille’s road system. Today the Montée de l’Oratoire is also home to the Institut des aveugles. Abbé Louis-Toussaint Dassy founded it in 1850. The institute first stood on Boulevard de la Madeleine. It moved to these slopes near Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde the following year. The institute acquired land from Messieurs Martin and Meistre. The first stone was laid on January 28 1859. The inauguration took place on May 6 1861. Music filled the air played by customs officers and firefighters.
So as we stand here remember the Oratoire Saint Honorat. Though the Oratoire Saint Honorat is gone its name lives on. The Oratoire Saint Honorat echoes through the Montée de l’Oratoire and the Place du Colonel-Édon. The Oratoire Saint Honorat reminds us of Marseille’s rich religious history and the traditions that once shaped this city.