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House of Caraffa or real estate complex called house of Caraffa à Bastia en Haute-corse

House of Caraffa or real estate complex called house of Caraffa

    2 Rue Chanoine Letteron
    20200 Bastia
Property of the municipality; private property
Maison de Caraffa ou ensemble immobilier dit maison de Caraffa
Maison de Caraffa ou ensemble immobilier dit maison de Caraffa
Maison de Caraffa ou ensemble immobilier dit maison de Caraffa
Maison de Caraffa ou ensemble immobilier dit maison de Caraffa
Maison de Caraffa ou ensemble immobilier dit maison de Caraffa
Crédit photo : Urelianu - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1612
Initial construction
vers 1680
Transformation by Caraffa
1741
Visit of the Duke of Wurtenberg
1770
Chapel decoration
1775
Major expansion
1789
Mayor of Bastia
1865
Garden development
2002
Acquisition by the municipality
2009, 2018, 2022
Historical Monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The following parts of the property complex called "Caraffa House" located in Nos. 2, 4 and 6 canon street Letteron, shown in the cadastre section AO, on plots Nos. 478 and 85: facades and roofs according to the right-of-way indicated on the annexed plan, the other common parts of the building located in No. 2, 4 canon street Letteron, located on Parcel No. 478 of section AO: stairs, bearings, common parts not built. The right-of-way of this building is shown on the two attached planes. This complex consists of: the building located in No 2, 4 rue canone Letteron, shown in the cadastre section AO, on Parcel No 478 in its entirety; the building located at 6 Canon Street Letteron, shown in the Cadastre section AO, on Parcel No.85, according to the right-of-way indicated on the annexed plan: inscription by order of 2 May 2018; The parts designated below, the right-of-way of which is shown on the plan annexed to the Order, of the complex of real estate known as "Caraffa House", located at Nos. 2, 4 and 6 canon street Letteron, shown in the cadastre section AO, on Parcels Nos. 477, 478 and 85: for the property situated on Parcel AO 477: the garden in its entirety, located on canon street Letteron, forming the corner with rue Jean-Baptiste de Caraffa; for property situated on Parcel AO 478: the premises covered by lots numbered 6 and 14 of the amended statement of division, the apartments and premises covered by lots numbered 7 to 11, 15 to 16, 22 and 24 of the amended statement of division, the store space and the apartment covered respectively by lots 17 (ex Lot No. 1) and 18 (ex Lot No. 2) of the amended statement of division, the apartment covered by lots 20, 21 and 23 of the amended statement of division, the apartment covered by lot 25 of the amended statement of division, the garage space covered by lot 29 of the amended statement of division, the apartment covered by lot 31 of the amended statement of division, the apartment covered by lot 32 of the amended statement of division, located in No. 2, 4 canon rue Letteron, a cellar on the ground floor of the building, the second door to the building, the second door to the cellar; and the apartment of three main rooms located on the first floor and between ground of the same building, having its entrance side descent of the columns and a supercify of about 30 m2 ; These two properties are the subject of lots to be created, located at No. 2, 4 canon street Letteron; for property on Parcel AO 85: ground floor space in lot 13 of the amended descriptive statement of division, rooms forming the western part of the 4th floor apartment in lot 40 of the amended descriptive statement of division, the 5th floor apartment and the attic above which lots 41 to 42 of the amended descriptive statement of division are numbered, the 2nd floor apartment in lot 43 of the amended descriptive statement of division is numbered, the 3rd floor apartment in lot 44 of the amended descriptive statement of division is numbered, the apartment in lot 50 of the amended descriptive statement of division is marked, the apartment in lot 54 of the amended descriptive statement of division is marked, the basement in lot 56 of the amended descriptive statement of division is located in lot 6 of canone street Letteron: entry by order of 13 February 2022

Key figures

Anton Bastiano Caraffa - Notable bastiais Turned the house into a palace around 1680.
Giovan Battista de Caraffa - Mayor of Bastia (1789) Enlarged the palace in 1775.
Ludwig von Wurtenberg - Duke and guest Stayed at the palace in 1741.
Famille Bronzini de Caraffa - Latest private owners Ceda la Palais à la Commune in 2002.

Origin and history

Caraffa House, also known as the Caraffa Palace, is an emblematic building in the historic centre of Bastia, located on Rue du Chanoine-Letteron in the Terra Vechja district. Originally a bourgeois house built in 1612 by the Petroni family, it was profoundly remodeled around 1680 by Anton Bastiano Caraffa, a notable bastia, to become a patrician home. Its facade, Bastia's highest, reflects architecture inspired by ligures and Tuscan models, while adapting to local urban constraints.

In 1775 Giovan Battista de Caraffa, then mayor of Bastia in 1789, enlarged the palace, adding elements such as a chapel decorated around 1770 and a remarkable living room with a vault painted in trompe l'oeil. A botanical garden was built in 1865, marking the end of the work. The complex and original interior distribution results from successive expansions, with spaces dedicated to shops, employee housing, and luxurious reception apartments.

The palace preserves collections reflecting the lifestyle of Corsican notability, including a private library among the most beautiful in the city. In 2002 it was transferred to Bastia by the Bronzini family of Caraffa. Ranked Historic Monument by several decrees (2009, 2018, 2022), it is planned for restoration. Among its notable spaces are the Wurtenberg Salon, named in honour of Duke Ludwig von Wurtenberg, host of the family in 1741.

The building is distinguished by its five levels and thirteen spans, with two balconies resting on curved consoles. Its staircase leads directly to the reception apartments, highlighting its status as aristocratic residence. The sober modeling and the erased polychromy of its facade make it a characteristic example of Corsican patriotic architecture, mixing Italian influences and local adaptations.

Today, the house of Caraffa belongs to the Bastia municipality, which ensures its preservation. Its inscription in the Historical Monuments covers not only facades and roofs, but also interior elements such as stairs, cellars, and several apartments. The hanging garden, decorated salons, and chapel make it a unique testimony to the social and architectural history of Corsica in the 17th to 19th centuries.

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