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Origin and history

The Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul de Campile church, located in the historical piève of Casacconi in Castagniccia, has its origins in the seventeenth century. Originally dedicated to St Peter, it was enlarged in 1659 to include St Paul. The current Baroque building was built mainly between 1760 and 1770 under the direction of architect Angelo Frediani de Penta di Casinca. The interior decorations, including a Latin inscription dated 1770 on the vault ("TU ES PETRUS..."), were completed that year, marking the completion of the works.

The original bell tower, 57 meters high and considered the highest of Corsica with its four floors, collapsed on March 3, 1918. It was replaced by the current bell tower, built in the early twentieth century and raised in 1954. The three bells, baptized in 1931 by the bishop of Ajaccio (Saint Mary, Saint Peter and Saint Paul), symbolize the religious importance of the place. The church, listed as a historical monument in 1984, houses notable works such as The Virgin of the Grapes, offered by Napoleon III, and a 16th century painting, The Cross Christ worshipped by apostles.

The building, from plan to Latin cross, consists of a central vaulted nave in a glass crib, two sides, and a transept with non-extensive arms. The Baroque façade, decorated with niches for statues of patron saints, reflects the artistic influence of the period. Eight side chapels, including those of the Rosary and the Sacred Heart, complete the whole. The church played a central role in community life, especially during the Corsican revolts against Genoa (1729-1769), where Casacconi's stake was active.

The Campile site, the historic capital of Casacconi piève, was a strategic site in the lower Golo valley. The region, marked by chestnut trees covering 60 per cent of the territory, is experiencing its economy and demographics shaped by this resource. The conflicts with Genoa, like the Battle of Cardo in 1731 where Father Bernardinu de Casacconi was captured, illustrate the local involvement in the struggles for independence. The church, a symbol of resistance and faith, was also a gathering place during these troubled times.

In the 19th century, the building underwent modifications, including the reconstruction of the bell tower in 1929 after its collapse. The monument to the dead, erected at the site of the old bell tower, commemorates the conflicts of the twentieth century. Lateral chapels, like the one housing Saint Nicolas (from a church destroyed by the Genoese in the 16th century), bear witness to the links between religious heritage and local history. Today, the church remains a cultural and spiritual pillar of Campile, classified among the historical monuments of Haute-Corse.

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