Menu :

Histoire

Personnages

Nature

Itinéraires par région

The parish church of St John the Baptist was built in 1644. Its bell tower reaches a height of 45 metres. Consisting of a nave, six side chapels and a flat-topped choir, it is a masterpiece of baroque art in Corsica. The church and its bell tower are listed as historical monuments.

The church of Saint Jean-Baptiste is a true masterpiece of Corsican Baroque. Its remarkable bell tower rises to a height of 45 metres and its main façade, with its abundant decoration, is one of the most accomplished on the island. The church consists of a single nave, flanked by six side chapels and ending in a choir with a flat chevet. The whole is vaulted in lunettes. The main façade is very lively, with columns, pilasters, shells, clasps and volutes. It is made up of two levels topped by an arched pediment. The construction of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church began in 1644 to replace the old church which had become too small. A second campaign of work was decided at the beginning of the 18th century to enlarge and complete the building. The master builder chosen for this project was Domenico Baini (or Baino), a very talented architect, painter and stucco artist, originally from Lombardy and active in Corsica between 1695 and 1732. For this vast project, Baini (and his team) enlarged the choir, made some altars and decorated the nave with a remarkable stucco decoration. In 1707, he signed the trompe-l'oeil painted decorations of the vault and the interior walls. Baini also designed the main façade and the bell tower, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1720. The monumental paintings of the choir vault were done in 1866 by Joseph Giordani, replacing the old decoration from the beginning of the 18th century. Joseph Giordani, born in Bastia in 1815 and settled in La Porta, was the son of the Roman painter Luigi Giordani, who had settled in Corsica in 1808. The chapel of Saints Joseph and Pancras, decorated by Baini, is adorned with an altarpiece dated 1884 and painted by Joseph Giordani. This oil on canvas depicts the apparition of St Joseph and the Child Jesus to St Pancras. A dedication above the main door of the church reads: "NON SURREXIT MAJOR JOANNE BAPTISTA" (No greater than John the Baptist rose - Matt. 11,11-15). Another inscription, above the previous one, reads: "ACCIPE REDDE FUGE" (contraction of a quotation from the theologian Hugues de Saint-Victor which could be translated as: Receive the benefit, give back what you owe and flee from the punishment).

La Porta

Accessibilité :

Services :

Informative amenities :

GRITACCESS:

Contact :