Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Convent of Capuchins of San-Martino-di-Lota, officially founded in 1656 after an alleged creation in 1645, was a place of preaching and teaching for the children of the region. The monks lived there until 1797, when the convent was put on sale. Acquired by the commune in 1803, he remained partially occupied by a Capuchin father until his privatization in 1908, where he was transformed into a castle.

The architecture preserves the U-shaped plan of the original Conventual buildings, with a main body and two wings surrounding a square courtyard, ancient cloistered space. The church Our Lady of Angels closes the courtyard to the north. Inside, the castle has woodwork, marble columns, a carved fireplace and mosaics in the living rooms and the vestibule, testimonies of its aristocratic metamorphosis.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1991, the site protects, among other things, facades (cloister included), roofs, pavements and marble staircases, as well as living rooms and their decor. These elements illustrate the transition between a monastic place of life and a private residence, marking the religious and architectural history of Upper Corsica.

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