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Convent of Saint Francis, Morosaglia

The construction of this Franciscan convent of the Friars Minor of the Observance took place between 1622 and 1699. It was completed in 1705 with the construction of the bell tower. The church has a double interest, as a witness of the religious architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries in Corsica and as a place of memory because of the stays that Pasquale Paoli and his brother Clemente made there.
The building forms a quadrilateral around a small inner courtyard. One side is occupied by the church, with a single barrel-vaulted nave flanked by seven side chapels. The conventual buildings housed the common rooms (cells, refectory, storerooms, infirmary, etc.). The construction of this Franciscan convent of the Friars Minor of the Observance took place between 1622 and 1699. It was completed in 1705 with the construction of the bell tower by Domenico Baini, a Lombard architect, stucco artist and painter active in Corsica between 1695 and 1732. The church has a double interest, as a witness of the religious architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries in Corsica and as a place of memory because of the stays that Pasquale Paoli and his brother Clemente made there. Pasquale Paoli held consulte (political assemblies) there and is said to have received the young Bonaparte in 1790, as well as the viceroy of the Anglo-Corsican kingdom, Sir Gilbert Elliot, in 1795. After the French Revolution and the abandonment of the convent in 1793, the building underwent certain modifications, notably during the 19th and 20th centuries, according to the various uses (school, justice of the peace, etc.). The conventual church, which became the parish church, retains a number of interesting works: - an architectural tabernacle in carved wood, dated 1687, typical of the craftsmanship of the Capuchin monks, - a painting depicting the Donation of the Rosary, executed in 1699 by the Corsican painter Giovan Maria Casalta and given to the church by Giovan Andrea Polidori, - a statue of the Virgin, in carved and painted wood, dating from the 18th century, - a large organ built by the Corsican organ builder Anton'Pietro Saladini in 1857 in an older case The decoration also bears the mark of Baroque masters active in Castagniccia during the 18th century, including Giovanni Raffalli (pulpit and stucco dated 22 April 1730) and Giacomo Grandi (active in the second third of the century, painted decoration above the triumphal arch). The building is listed as a Historic Monument.
  • Route
  • Place
  • Morosaglia
    Accessibilité :
    • Indoor/outdoor walkway signage
    Services :
    Informative amenities :
    • Information sign
    GRITACCESS:
    Contact :
          • Couvent Saint-François, Morosaglia, 20218 Morosaglia

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