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Origin and history

The church of Santa Croce de Novella, located in the commune of Novella in Haute-Corse, was built in the 18th century, and then thoroughly redesigned in 1880 under the impulse of the parish priest Lanzaravi. It replaces a first parish church built in 1740, whose campanile was incorporated into the new structure. This baroque monument, of imposing dimensions, is distinguished by a unique nave completed by a five-sided apse, as well as two side chapels dedicated to Saint Léonard and the Rosary. Its interior decoration, particularly rich, motivated its inscription in the Historical Monuments by decree of 6 September 1985.

Novella, a rural commune of the piève d'Ostriconi, has a history marked by Sarrasin invasions from the eighth century, followed by the domination of the Marquis of Massa in the Middle Ages. The church of Santa Croce, which became parish in the 19th century, reflects the architectural and religious evolution of the region, especially after the abandonment of the former church of Saint-Michel-Archange, considered too small and distant. The restoration of the building, completed in 1993, preserved its artistic heritage, including a painting of the Virgin and the Child Jesus, the object of local devotion for a miraculous phenomenon reported.

The Ostriconi region, once covered with olive trees before being destroyed by fire in the 20th century, retains a strong rural identity. The Church of Santa Croce, a communal property, remains a central place for local festivities, such as the Good Friday night procession or the patronal feast of Saint Michael. Its bell tower, pierced with bays and crowned with a dome, as well as its pilasters and triangular pediment facade, illustrate the adaptation of Italian Baroque styles in Corsica, in a context of post-Genoese reconstruction and community affirmation.

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