Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul is a church in the Thiers neighborhood of Marseille, situated at the top of the Canebière. It is commonly known by the people of Marseille as église des Réformés. This common name refers to the location of an ancient chapel of the Reformed Augustinians dedicated to Saint Nicolas de Tolentino. The first stone of that earlier chapel was laid by the Duke of Guise, and the chapel was destroyed shortly after the Concordat.
The new church was designed by architect François Reybaud, who adopted a 13th-century Gothic style. He withdrew from the project in 1862, and construction was completed by Abbot Joseph Pougnet after Curate Vidal called on him to resume the plans. The first stone of the new church was laid by Eugène de Mazenod. Although the church was inaugurated in its current state on 7 November 1886, the building was never fully completed. It was later fully registered as a historical monument in 1984. The monumental Grand-Orgue Merklin, classified in 1981, helped prevent the church’s destruction. A major restoration campaign by the City of Marseille took place from 2019 to 2023.
Nearby Objects
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Palais des arts 400 m away -
Place Jean-Jaurès 450 m away -
Église de la Mission de France 550 m away -
Hôtel Louvre et Paix 650 m away -
Musée Grobet-Labadié 750 m away
Location and Local Name
The church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul is located in the Thiers neighborhood, at the top of the Canebiere. In Marseille, it is commonly known as the eglise des Reformes. These place references identify it as a notable church within the city and link it to both its neighborhood setting and its local popular name.
History and Construction
The church owes its common name to the site of an ancient chapel of the Reformed Augustinians dedicated to Saint Nicolas de Tolentino. The first stone of that earlier chapel was laid by the Duke of Guise, and the chapel was destroyed shortly after the Concordat. The new church was designed by architect Francois Reybaud, who chose a 13th century Gothic style for the building. The first stone of the new church was laid by Eugene de Mazenod.
Construction was interrupted when Reybaud abruptly left the site in 1862. Curate Vidal then called on priest and architect Joseph Pougnet to resume the plans that same year, and Pougnet completed the building. In 1885, a collection and the charity of parishioners raised three million francs for the church. It was inaugurated in its current state on 7 November 1886, although the building was never fully completed.
The church was first protected at the supplementary inventory level for its facade and roof, and it was fully registered as a historical monument by an order dated 6 March 1984. The monumental Grand-Orgue Merklin has also been classified as a historical monument since 1981, and this classification helped prevent the destruction of the church.
Restoration Campaign
From 2019 to 2023, the City of Marseille carried out a major restoration campaign on the church. The work began with the spires and outer walls, and included the restoration of gargoyles, griffons, hooks, and other ornamental sculptures. It then moved on to the nave and the side facades. The final phase focused on the rear of the building, the transept, and the choir.
Architecture and Interior Layout
The Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul is built in a neo-Gothic style and follows a traditional basilica plan. It is oriented east to west, with the choir at the east end and the facade to the west. The interior measures 61 meters in length and 28 meters in width at the transept. The structure is organized around a sanctuary, a choir flanked by four chapels, a transept with crossing, and three naves. The collateral naves end in square apses, while the main nave has a seven-sided apse. A crypt is opened beneath the nave.
The vertical proportions of the building are also notable. The main nave vault rises to more than 23 meters under the key, while the side aisle vaults reach 16.60 meters. The church spires rise to 76 meters, reinforcing the monument's prominent profile.
The facade features three portals and stands on a 25-step stair. Sculptures planned for the facade, designed by abbé Pougnet, were never realized. A reduced model of the facade appears on the tomb of curure Vidal in one lateral chapel, scaled from centimeters to meters. The oak doors are decorated with bronze panels by Caras-Latour, and the stained glass windows by Edouard Didron are among the building's notable decorative elements. The main altar comes from the workshops of Jules Cantini, and the altar placed at the center of the choir in the second half of the 20th century was reused from the enclosure of the communion bench.
The Grand Orgue of Saint Vincent de Paul
The Grand Orgue of the Church of Saint Vincent de Paul was constructed by Joseph Merklin in 1888. It was designed with an innovative electric transmission patented by Schmoele and Mols, and its original arrangement included 48 stops over three keyboards of 56 notes and a pedalboard of 30 notes. The Grand-Orgue, Positif, and part of the Pedal were placed in the North case, while the Rcfit and the rest of the Pedal were placed in the South case. The instrument was inaugurated by Theodore Dubois.
From 1889 to 1912, it underwent numerous repairs intended to improve its sound and tonal palette. After about twenty years, its electrical contacts became defective, and the organ became silent. It was then rebuilt in 1947 by Michel-Merklin-&-Kuhn as a new instrument with 40 stops over three manuals of 61 notes and a pedalboard of 32 notes. This 1947 organ was placed in a side chapel near the choir.
Restoration began in 2002 for both the 1888 and 1947 instruments, with their aesthetics and consoles preserved. The project also included a new mobile console with five keyboards, allowing both instruments to be played together. The restored organs were blessed on a specified date and inaugurated the next day by Jean Guillou. The Grand Orgue now consists of 84 real stops, 111 including borrowings and extensions, over five keyboards and one pedalboard.
Interior Features and Renovation
Images document several notable features of Eglise Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Marseille, including the Chaire de Gemy and fils, the Maitre-autel by Jules Cantini, and two organs: the Orgue double Joseph Merklin and the Orgue de choeur Michel-Merklin and Kuhn. The Choeur is also shown, along with the Rose de la facade ouest. Additional images record the church during renovation, indicating that the building has been the subject of ongoing work. A view from bas des allees Gambetta in 2026 also places the church within its urban setting in Marseille.