The chapels of the Virgin and the Rosary of the Saint-Jean-l’Évangéliste church, winner of the 2024 Ensemble pour le patrimoine Prize
Between the maquis and the oak forests, a white building stands out from the green landscape. In this Upper Corsica village of 320 souls, the church of Saint-Jean-l’Évangéliste appears, with the appearance of a cathedral, flanked by its Holy Cross oratory. In the past, Santo-Pietro-di-Tenda was larger and nothing seemed too monumental to celebrate the Lord.
“During its construction, completed in 1784, the local clergy even paid a fortune for an architect, something rare at the time,” says Philippe Racon, municipal councilor. Inheriting this baroque building is one thing, but it must still be preserved. Inside, some chapels have never been restored. We have to combat the humidity, redo the plaster, the stucco, the frescoes, the gold leaf…
The town hall is staggering the work. Two chapels, that of the Virgin and that of the Rosary, are the next ones concerned. This site received the Pilgrim Prize Together for Heritage in partnership with the Heritage Foundation. “The parish has become more dynamic, with the resurrection of the Santa Croce brotherhood,” enthuses former municipal councilor Janine Stefanini, herself a sister of this religious and charitable association. Life breathes between the soon-to-be-restored walls.
