Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Coaraze, located in the Alpes-Maritimes, finds its origins in the 12th century under the name of Saint-Pierre. A first reconstruction in the 14th century attributed to him his current term, Saint John the Baptist. The archives mention major damage caused by earthquakes, especially in 1348 and 1618, requiring repeated repairs. A Latin inscription of 1717 attests that the local community completed the reconstruction of the building after three successive collapses.

The church façade reveals two distinct phases of construction: a well-equipped lower part, prior to 1717, and a lower-quality upper part, dated this year. Inside, the baroque stucco decoration, typical of the Catholic Counter-Reform, includes 118 angels and angels, as well as a Madonna with the Child in alabaster of 1600. These elements reflect a major transformation campaign in the 18th century, inspired by the late Nice baroque, with retables in gypsy in the choir and side chapels.

In the 19th century, problems of stability, linked to its position on the cliffside, led to restorations, including that of 1863 which added a neo-baroque painted decoration on the vault of the nave. The church, classified as a historic monument in 2018, also retains traces of its irregular rectangular plan and of a bell tower built into the building. Its history is part of that of the villages perched in the Niçois hinterland, marked by earthquakes and community reconstructions.

The sources also mention an old sacristy and a chapel of the Penitents, now integrated into the building. The last decoration campaign, in the eighteenth century, transformed this rustic mountain church into a remarkable example of the religious rock, characteristic of the region. Its recent listing as historic monuments highlights its heritage value, both architectural and historical.

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