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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Marc de Piène-Haute, located in the commune of Breil-sur-Roya in the Alpes-Maritimes, has its origins in the 12th century, with foundations attested from the 13th century. A first church dedicated to Saint Maur, the local patron saint, was built there in 1422. The village continues today the feast of Saint Maur every 15 January. In 1589, an official act listed the property and rights of the commune of Penna (former name of Piène-Haute), then under Genoese influence.

The present building, of Liguria Baroque style, is erected in the eighteenth century, when Piène-Haute belongs to the Republic of Genoa. Its altarpiece of the Rosary (1715) and its altarpiece of the choir (1728) illustrate local baroque art, while the bell tower and curvilinear frontal façade reflect Genoese architectural influence. Two restoration campaigns marked its history: in 1852 under the impulse of the Archbishop of Vintimille, then in 1908. Inside, decorated with polychrome stuccos and trompe-l'oeil, houses seven altarpieces, including a 17th century macabre dance in the Chapel of Souls of Purgatory.

Classified as a Historical Monument on November 3, 1987, the church is marked by its double rotating staircase, its side chapels with baroque altarpieces (XIXth century), and its homogenous decor combining false marbles and ligature motifs. The major altarpiece, dedicated to St Mark in front of his lion, is framed by the statues of St Peter and St Paul. The other retables honour Saint Roch, Notre-Dame de Lourdes, or Saint Maur, a historical link with the medieval origins of the site.

The building, a communal property, bears witness to the cultural exchanges between Liguria and Provence, especially through its artists decorators from Genoa. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments underlines its heritage value, both for its architecture and for its preserved liturgical furniture. The location in Piène-Haute, hamlet of Breil-sur-Roya, makes it a remarkable example of the rural baroque of the Alps.

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