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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint Bartholomew of Bonifacio, built in the 1st quarter of the 17th century, is a unique nave religious building covered with a cradle vault. Its present state is degraded, and its original use has been profoundly altered by successive transformations. Originally erected as a fraternity church, it was attested from the beginning of the 17th century, but its architecture was distorted by later developments, including its conversion into a cinema in the 1960s.

Acquised by the Army in 1847, the church was reassigned to an artillery store, as confirmed by the plans of 1848 kept in the archives of the Genius in Vincennes. This change of military use marks a first break with his religious vocation. In the early 1960s, the Army transformed it into a cinema, further erasing its original characteristics. Despite these changes, the building remains associated with the Historic Monument of the citadel of Bonifacio and was registered by order of 22 April 1994 for its heritage value.

Today, the church of Saint Barthélemy illustrates the functional changes of religious buildings in Corsica, moving from a place of worship to military and cultural uses. Its inscription as a Historic Monument underlines the importance of preserving this architectural testimony, despite its current state and radical transformations. The accuracy of its location is considered mediocre (note 5/10), perhaps reflecting the difficulties in tracing its physical history after so many redevelopments.

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