The Abbey of St. Victor is thought to be the oldest church in France. It was built in the late fifth century AD. In fact, there were two monasteries built—one for men and one for women. Both were largely destroyed in the eighth century by Saracen invaders, and the convent was never rebuilt. By the 11th century, the abbey was once again thriving as a center of religious life in the Mediterranean. One of St. Victor’s abbots even went on to become Pope—Guillaume de Grimoard, who became Pope Urban V in 1362.
In the 1800s when the monks in residence barricaded themselves inside the abbey during an outbreak of the plague instead of helping the local population, the monastery was stripped of its religious association. For visitors to Marseille, whether on a guided tour or visiting alone, the Abbey of St. Victor offers a window into more than a thousand years of history in France.