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Origin and history

The "Abadie de Moca-Croce" is a religious building with an elongated plan, characterized by a single nave covered with an apparent wooden frame and a semicircular apse arched in cul-de-four. Originally from the second half of the 10th century, it belonged to the Benedictine Abbey of San Benigno of Genoa. This first state bears witness to a primitive Romanesque architecture, typical of the small Corsican rural oratories of that time.

In the 15th century, the monument was reported as ruined, perhaps reflecting the political turmoil or demographic decline of the region. A reconstruction took place before 1587, when a report described the absence of a bell tower and the presence of murals on the right wall of the entrance. These frescoes, today not detailed in the sources, suggest a desire for liturgical or narrative decoration, common in medieval churches.

An inventory of 1686 reveals an evolution in the management of the site: initially served by a priest entitled "abbé", the oratory is then maintained by a hermit, indicating a change in his use or ecclesiastical status. The bell tower-wall, later added and supported by a foothill at the southeast corner, illustrates a post-medieval architectural adaptation. The inscription in the Historic Monuments in 1926 consecrated its heritage value, while emphasizing its anchoring in the local cemetery, a place of collective memory.

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