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Origin and history

The church of Saint Georges de Quenza, located in the village of the same name in Alta Rocca (South Corsica), is a 17th century religious building, although its origins probably date back to the Middle Ages. Mentioned in 1587 in an apostolic visit report, it became a parish church in the 17th century and underwent enlargements during that period. Its architecture combines a central nave with an apparent structure and side chapels vaulted in a cradle, while its square bell tower, open with narrow bays and surmounted by an octagonal belltonne, dating from 1838, rebuilt after damage caused by lightning in 1837-1838. The whole, partially classified as a historical monument (clocher and sacristy in 1979, remains of the church registered in 1989), bears traces of successive restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries, partially altering its original appearance.

The monument is inseparable from the turbulent history of Quenza, a village where Pascal Paoli spent his last night in Corsica on 12 June 1769 before his exile, in the house of Count Roccu Francesco Colonna Cesari, a local figure nicknamed "u babbu di a patria". During World War II, the nearby castle, requisitioned by the Germans as a hospital and ammunition depot, was taken over by the resistors on 16 September 1943. The church remains an active place of worship (weekly Masses) and a symbol of Corsican religious heritage, currently being restored.

Architecturally, the church illustrates the local adaptations of the baroque models, with a sober gable façade decorated with a triangular pediment and side chapels accessible by arches supported by pilasters. Its bell tower, the most remarkable element, is distinguished by its five levels rhythmized by salient moulurations and its four obelisks of angle, crowned by a pans dome. The archives also reveal its role in social life, as evidenced by the works financed by the municipality in the nineteenth century (vis established by master mason Ch. Maggi in 1837).

Today, the church of Saint George is part of a larger heritage complex, including the Romanesque chapel of Sainte-Marie (founded around the year Mil) and the neo-renaissance castle of Colonna Cesari (XX century), both located nearby. The village, classified as a rural area with scattered habitat, relies on its heritage to attract visitors, between hikes to the Aiguilles de Bavella and cultural activities (employers' feasts, biannual sculpture). Studies underway for the restoration of the church underline its lasting importance in the local identity.

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