Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of San Lorenzo de Lama, located in the Corsican village of the same name, was built at the end of the 13th century, as evidenced by its precise dating in the 4th quarter of this century. This religious monument, typical of island medieval architecture, reflects the importance of Christian worship in Corsica at that time, while integrating local stylistic elements.

By the end of the 15th century, the chapel lost its regular liturgical function and was not used more than for funeral services and the annual mass dedicated to Saint Laurent, his guardian saint. This decline was accentuated in the following centuries: in the 18th century, the building fell into ruins, then underwent various reallocations that partially altered its original structure. Despite this deterioration, frescoes dating from the late 15th or early 16th century, decorated on the triumphal arch and the vault, remain as major artistic testimonies.

Classified as a Historic Monument by decree of 30 January 1995, the San Lorenzo Chapel today enjoys a heritage protection that underscores its historical and artistic value. The frescoes, although partially damaged, offer a rare glimpse of religious painting in Corsica at the hinge between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The location of the building, in the village of Lama in Upper Corsica, also makes it a marker of the local heritage, linked to the social and religious history of the region.

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