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Origin and history

The church of the Annonciade de Venzolasca, located in the municipality of Venzolasca in Upper Corsica, is a religious building built in the 18th century. It embodies the classical architectural style introduced by the Genoese in Corsica, characterized by an orderly facade, a five-storey bell tower and a unique nave flanked by side chapels. Its elongated plan, its vaulted vessel in a glass crib and its interior decoration in painted and gilded plaster reflect the Italian influence of the time.

The church initially depended on the Benedictines of the island of Gorgone, then on the Chartreuse of Calci (Pise) from 1375. In 1569, she was in poor condition, as the Rector Antonetto points out. Partly rebuilt at the end of the 16th or early 17th century, it was the subject of two major works: the first in the third quarter of the 17th century, and the second in the first quarter of the 18th century, with the intervention of the master masons Pasquino Campana and Clemente Rovere. This work added eight side chapels and remodeled the choir.

In the mid-19th century, the church was restored by master mason Jean-Baptiste Solari, followed by regular maintenance work until today. Since 1926, it has housed a painting attributed to Luigi Bruneti, representing Saint Lucia interceding with the Most Holy Trinity for souls of Purgatory, protected as movable objects. Its architecture and history make it a valuable testimony of Corsican religious heritage under Genoese influence.

Venzolasca, where the church is located, is a rural town in Haute-Corse, marked by a human occupation dating back to the Neolithic. The commune, once organised around a village perched to protect itself from invasions, spread towards the plain and the coast, especially around the Arena district. Its economy, historically linked to agriculture and the local steel industry (as evidenced by the Querciolo forge), has evolved with its integration into the urban area of Bastia.

The Saint Francis convent, a neighbouring church and now in ruins, also illustrates the Franciscan heritage of the region. Founded in the 16th century on the basis of a 13th century establishment, it was enlarged by the Franciscans reformed in the 17th century. These historical and architectural elements underline the central role of Venzolasca in the religious and cultural heritage of Casinca, a microregion of the East Corsican plain.

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