Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Madonna del Poggio, located in Saorgia in the Alpes-Maritimes, is mentioned for the first time in 1092 in a cartular of the abbey of Lérins. This document attests to a donation confirmed by the bishop of Vintimille, suggesting the prior existence of a chapel or parish church. The site, then integrated into a network of trade routes between Liguria and the Alps, became a Benedictine priory dependent on Lérins. The early structures, dating back to the late 11th century, included a central vaulted cul-de-four nave and an apse, supplemented shortly afterwards by collaterals and a partial bell tower.

In the 12th century, the priory was established with the presence of a prior attested in 1177. The church undergoes major transformations: vaulting of the central nave, strengthening of the walls and opening of arches to connect the naves. These modifications reflect the growing importance of the site, linked to the conflicts between the Counts of Provence, Vintimille and the Republic of Genoa. Saorgia, ceded to Savoy in 1388, saw its church become a privileged burial place for the inhabitants, despite problems of maintenance reported in 1468.

The 15th and 16th centuries marked a period of decline and renovation. In 1465, the fire of the parish church of Saint-Sauveur prompted parishioners to finance frescoes in the Madonna del Poggio, attributed to Giovanni Baleison. These paintings, classified in 1982, represent Marian and Saint Lucia scenes. The bell tower, ruined in 1468, was restored and raised in 1511. In the 16th century, the church was modified (perceived from the west facade, transformation of the arcades) and remained in good condition according to the reports of 1587.

After the revolutionary closure in 1794 and its sale to the Daveo family in 1795, the church was restored to worship in 1823 by the bishop of Nice. The frescoes, covered by a badigeon in the 19th century, were rediscovered in 1966. Classified as a historical monument in 1913, it has been restored (clocher in 1909, covers in 1938). Its history reflects the political and religious stakes of the Roya Valley, between Provence, Savoie and Genoa.

Jacques Thirion's architectural analysis made it possible to date the construction phases, revealing a superposition of Romanesque and Gothic styles. The successive donations (14th century) and the conflicts between the abbey of Lérins and the local cure (arbitration of 1215) illustrate its central role. The murals, comparable to those of Venanson, bear witness to an artistic heritage preserved despite historical hazards, from the Saracens to the Revolution.

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