Church of Saint John the Baptist of La Couronne

Built in 1669 in the village of quarrymen, At the corner of the bell tower, the artisans have engraved their signatures. Inside: the showcase of quarry tools.
Since the Middle Ages, a village occupied the place called La Couronne Vieille, on the coast, not far from stone quarries where many fishermen went to stock up. We find it named for the first time in an act of the middle of the fourteenth century. Its inhabitants were parishioners of l̂e Saint-Geniez.

In the 17th century, the stonemasons gathered in a brotherhood, placed under the name of the Nativity of Notre Dame. A primitive chapel once existed, it was dedicated to Our Lady of Hope. Right next to the chapel lived a Hermit who provided divine worship. From 1584 to 1669, the population of La Couronne will increase considerably, mainly through activities related to the exploitation of the quarries of the Crown. It was at this time that the church was built by the master masons of Tarascon.

The bell tower will be built later and blessed on May 10, 1859 by Monsignor Chalandou, Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence. The bell tower was raised by the generosity of the inhabitants and mainly that of the quarrymen whose testimony can be found on each of the marked stones.

Today, the parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de La Couronne still exists, but La Couronne has become a district of Martigues.