Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Oratory of the Immaculate Conception, founded in 1588 by a brotherhood, was completed in 1609 as a Baroque chapel. Between 1636 and 1666 he served as a temporary parish church during the reconstruction of Saint John the Baptist. Its Baroque portal (1704) and marbles of Carrare (1858-1859) reflect successive beautification campaigns.

In the 18th century, the building became a political place: hall of deliberations under Pascal Paoli, then parliament of the Anglo-Crown kingdom (1794-1796), where a throne symbolized King George III. He also served as a military hospital. Its interior, adorned with silk damas, golden stucco (1618-1619) and vault paintings (17th and 19th centuries), illustrates the genoese influence and opulence of the Bastia brotherhoods.

The furniture includes walnut stalls (late eighteenth), a table of 1624 in polychrome marble, and a silver candlestick (1856-1857) signed Gaetano Macchi. Among the major works are an anonymous 16th-century Cross Gate, inspired by Raphael, and a copy of the Assumption of Murillo. Ranked a historic monument in 2000, the oratory combines religious heritage, Baroque art and Corsican political memory.

The facade, remodeled, contrasts with the pebble mosaic square, Genoese tradition. The chandeliers of 1864, commissioned in Genoa, and the 16th century wall velvet testify to the Mediterranean trade. The building, a communal property, embodies the Bastia identity between Marian devotion, secular power and Italian artistic heritage.

External links