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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Blaise de Calenzana, located in Upper Corsica, is an Italian Baroque religious building built between the 17th and 18th centuries. It replaces a 12th century Romanesque sanctuary and was erected according to the plans of the Milanese architect Domenico Baiana between 1691 and 1707. The church is distinguished by its three-nave plan, rare in Corsica, and its western facade richly decorated with niches, Corinthian pilasters and trompe l'oeil paintings. Its isolated bell tower, added between 1870 and 1875 by architect Guasco, is one of the only two of this style on the island, with that of La Porta.

In 1752 the church became a collegiate canon under the permission of Pope Benedict XV, a status abolished in 1790 and briefly restored in 1794 before disappearing in the nineteenth century. The monument was marked by a major historical event: the Battle of Calenzana of 14 January 1732, where the inhabitants, supported by General Giafferi, repulsed the troops of Colonel De Vins. A commemorative plaque at the foot of the campanile recalls this victory and burial of 500 German soldiers who died in the service of Genoa.

The richly decorated interior of the church houses frescoes by Bernardino Pardini (1722), baroque altarpieces, and an 18th-century organ classified as a historical monument. Among the notable works are a 17th century polychrome wooden Madonna with Child, a statue of Saint Reparate worn in annual procession, and marble burial plates, including that of doctor Martin Guidoni Bianconi. The ensemble, classified in 1981, illustrates the Italian artistic influence in Corsica and the central role of the church in local community and memorial life.

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