The French leg of the Paris Olympic flame relay began on Thursday in the southern port city of Marseille, a day after it arrived from Greece on a 19th-century ship.

Former star footballer for France Basile Boli carried the torch from a majestic cathedral overlooking the city and handed it to 83-year-old Colette Cataldo.

The event drew dozens of spectators, including Marseille Archbishop Jean-Marc Aveline.

"That really makes the heart beat fast, and it's fantastic," Boli said after handing over the torch.

"It's the Olympic flame; it's the symbol of sport and of living together," he said.

The handover marked the start of a 12,000-kilometer torch relay across France and its far-flung overseas territories.

The opening ceremony for the Olympics on July 26 will take place in boats on the river Seine in a radical departure from past Games, which had opened in the main stadium.

Organizers are hoping the first public spectacle of the Games on French soil will help build excitement after a row about the price of Olympics tickets and concerns about security.