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Origin and history

The convent of Saint Francis of Morosaglia, called U Cunventu in Corsica, is a Franciscan building built between 1622 and 1699, with the completion of the bell tower in 1705. It belongs to the Order of Observant Minors and is distinguished by its preserved architecture, rare in Corsica. The convent is intimately linked to the history of Pascal Paoli, a major figure of Corsican independence, who stayed there with his brother Clement. After 1793, the building experienced several reassignments, including A Scola Paoli, a primary school founded by Paoli's will, which attracted students from all over Castagniccia.

The Conventual Church, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, has a nave and two lower sides, with a deep choir. Its architecture reflects the specificities of the 17th century Corsica, such as the purely decorative capitals and the irregularities of the coasts, testimonies of reshuffles. The convent is also a place of memory: it houses the tombs of Clement Paoli and of Alfieru Pulidori. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1992, it is currently in restoration and not accessible for security reasons.

Morosaglia, a native village of Pascal Paoli, was a strategic centre of the Rod of Rostino, an area marked by revolts against Genoa in the 18th century. The convent, a symbol of Corsican cultural and religious resistance, also embodies the role of Franciscans in education and the preservation of local identity. Its architecture, typical of island convents, makes it a unique heritage, despite the transformations associated with its school use.

The region of Castagniccia, where Morosaglia is located, was a home of resistance and community life, organized around agriculture (châtaigniers, olive trees) and exchanges via routes such as the one linking Ponte-Leccia to Bastia. The convent, like other religious buildings in the area, served as a refuge and assembly place during the conflicts. Today, its restoration aims to preserve this testimony of Corsican history, between spirituality, education and struggle for autonomy.

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