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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of the Annunciation of Corte, located in the old Corte in Upper Corsica, is a Baroque-style religious building dating back to the 15th century. Built between 1450 and 1459 under the impulse of Monsignor Ambrose Arrighi, bishop of Aleria, it embodies a pivotal period of Corsican history, marked by architectural and spiritual transformations. Its campanile and dedication to the Annunciation make it a local symbol, integrated into the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1973.

In 1655, the church underwent major changes: the western chapels were demolished to give way to a lateral nave, integrating the old bell tower into the new structure. This expansion project reflects the evolution of the liturgical and community needs of Corte, then in full affirmation as the political and religious center of the island. The building later became the parish church under the generalate of Pascal Paoli, when Corte was designated the capital of Corsica.

The church houses major heritage elements, including the wax gissant of Blaise de Signori, a Franciscan brother venerated as the only Corsican saint and patron saint of the island. The chapel of San Teòfalu, dedicated to the latter, also houses a statue and a painting offered by the Vatican, illustrating its intercession with the Duke of Württemberg. An 18th century organ, classified as a historical monument in 1978, completes this exceptional furniture, showing the cultural and spiritual richness of the place.

The monument, owned by the municipality, embodies both the medieval heritage and the Baroque transformations of Corsica. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments underlines its importance in the island's religious and architectural landscape, while preserving a place of memory linked to emblematic figures such as Blaise de Signori or Pascal Paoli.

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