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Origin and history

The pro-Cathedral Saint-Erasme de Cervione, located in Haute-Corse, is a baroque building built between 1714 and 1745 at the site of a first cathedral erected from 1578 under the episcopate of Monsignor Alexandre Sauli. The latter, bishop of Aleria, started its construction after having shaved an old modest church. The current building, from plan to Latin cross, is distinguished by its nave with three vessels, its arched transept in cradle, and an elliptical dome surmounted by a lantern. Ranked a historic monument in 1928, it was the seat of the Diocese of Aleria until its abolition in 1802.

The cathedral had several major restoration campaigns: in 1770 it was already in poor condition; At the beginning of the 19th century, painters Giavarini and Giordani decorated the interior with frescoes (1828); In 1858, the dome, collapsed in 1855, was rebuilt thanks to a subscription including Empress Eugénie. In 1896 the wooden balustrade of the choir was replaced by a marble version, the work of the marbrier Boni. Its architecture, inspired by the Italian Jesuit churches such as Cambrai, blends outer sobriety and inner Baroque richness, with chapels dedicated to local saints such as Alexander Sauli or Lucie.

The organ, transferred between 1797 and 1861 from the convent Saint-François de Campulori, was restored in 1971 by Barthélemy Formentelli, who added typical games like a bagpipe and a nightingale. The cathedral also houses notable works, including a painting by Saint Michael terrorizing the demon (copy of a 17th century Roman work) and a Descent of the Cross in the catechism room. Its bell tower, considered remarkable by Prosper Mérimée, and its dome with the painted pendants of the four evangelists make it a jewel of Corsican heritage.

The history of the cathedral is linked to notable episodes, such as the miraculous protection attributed to Alexandre Sauli in 1584, when his prayers would have scattered a fleet of barbaric corsairs threatening Cervione. The building also reflects the genoese and Italian influences, visible in its slate cover arranged in generators or its dome inspired by ligures models. Today, it remains one of the largest churches in Corsica, witness to the religious and artistic history of the island.

Local materials, such as Brando's blue and white marble (pavement of 1853), and gifts from notables (such as the Baptistery offered by Toussaint Caneri) illustrate its community anchor. The stalls of the choir (1750), the episcopal throne, and the polychrome wooden statues (including Notre-Dame du Rosaire) complete an ensemble of popular devation, baroque art, and memory of the struggles against the Mediterranean pirates.

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