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Origin and history

The Parish Centre Notre-Dame des Victoires, located in Bastia, was built in 1969 as part of the urbanisation programme of the southern districts of the city, known as "the great ensembles". The architect Louis de Casabianca has integrated avant-garde forms, such as hyperbolic paraboloids, symbols of modernity and technical progress. These dynamic volumes contrast with the bars of surrounding buildings and give a strong identity to this place of worship.

The building is characterized by a rectangular stone volume where a dome emerges above the choir, surmounted by an oculus. In the east, the main entrance is preceded by a stairwell and an open porch, sheltered by a parabolic veil. To the west, the blind facade highlights the curve of the vault. The contrast between the materials – smooth white concrete and rough grey shale – reinforces the architectural symbolism: concrete evokes the sky, while the stone anchors the building in the earth.

The initial project provided for a complete layout of the approaches, including a parvis (later realized) and a bell tower on the side square, never built. The whole, fully protected by a decree of 8 February 2008, illustrates the integration of sacred art into urban policies of the Thirty Glories. The architect Louis Cypriani is also mentioned as a masterpiece alongside Louis de Casabianca.

Owned by the diocesan association, this parish centre embodies a period of urban and religious transformation, where modern architecture served both as an identity marker and as a response to the spiritual needs of a changing population. Its bold style and contrasting materials make it a unique testimony to the adaptation of cultural heritage to the challenges of the twentieth century.

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