Menu :

Histoire

Personnages

Nature

Itinéraires par région

The Court of Justice of Bastia is a perfect illustration of the success, in the 19th century, of neoclassical architecture in the construction of public buildings.

The foundation stone was laid on 25 July, 1852.The work lasted for 6 years and the building was inaugurated on 12 May 1858.The edifice had been designed by Jean-Baptiste Cotin, the architect of the department of Corsica. The neoclassical façade has been ranked as National Historic Monument since 1992. The light grey moulding of the façade (pilasters, friezes, frontals, cornices) stand out on an ochre rough coat. The trompe l’oeil pilasters and cornices imitate the Corte marble; the arcs, substructures, frontals and window frames are in real marble. Behind the façade there is a vast public lobby the ceiling of which rests on 6 monolithic columns in marble of Corte. In the centre stands a bust of Count Alexandre Colonna d’Istria – the first president of the Court of Appeal – made by the Corsican sculptor Don-Joseph Colonna Cesari (1825-1887). The building has been designed around an inner courtyard, the upper floor of which is lined with a Tuscan-style colonnade. The aerial bombings of 1943 have caused the restructuring of the rear part of the courthouse and the disappearance of the fountain which adorned the centre of the courtyard. The façade is enhanced by monumental stairs leading to the Moro Giafferri roundabout. This place has been named so to honour one of the greatest Corsican lawyers, Vincent de Moro Giafferri (1876-1956) who was the counsel for Landru- among others. Prestigious visitors were accommodated in the apartments of the courthouse: Prince Napoleon (in 1862), and two Presidents of the Republic: Carnot (in 1890), and Millerand (in 1922).

Bastia

GRITACCESS:

Contact :