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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of San Marcellu (Saint-Marcel) of Aleria, probably built in the fourth or fifth century on the site of the first cathedral of Corsica, was destroyed and rebuilt several times. According to legend, Ugo Colonna would have taken over the Barbaresques in the ninth century. The Roman stones of the ancient city, located nearby, were reused for its foundations. The present building, built mainly in the 15th century, underwent major changes in the 17th and 20th centuries, including the addition of a bell tower in 1886.

The anterior facade, structured in three levels separated by cornices and crowned with a triangular pediment, is rhythmized by flat pilasters. It opens onto a central nave flanked by two narrow collaterals, separated by arcades. The choir, shallow, is bounded by a balustrade. The whole is covered with a pyramid roof. The church, listed as a Historic Monument in 1987, houses a 17th-century painting depicting St. Marcel between two martyrs, in turn classified in 1989.

Located in the eastern plain of Corsica, near the ancient remains of Aleria, this church embodies the historical strata of the region: from the Greek city of Alalia (VIth century BC) to the Roman colony, then to medieval and modern conflicts. His religious role was central, especially as episcopal seat until the 18th century, before the bishops resided in Cervione. The reshuffles of the 17th and 20th centuries reflect successive adaptations, linked to the political and social upheavals of Corsica, including the events of Aleria in 1975, marking a nationalist turning point.

The surrounding site, rich in archaeological remains (pre-Roman necropolis, spas of Santa Laurina, fort of Matra), highlights the strategic importance of Aleria, the former Roman capital of the island. The church, by its persistence and its transformations, bears witness to the resilience of a place of worship at the heart of a turbulent history, between conquests, abandonment (due to malaria), and agricultural renaissance in the 20th century after the remediation of the plain by the Americans during the Second World War.

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