Initial construction XIIe siècle (≈ 1250)
Edification of the original Pevian church.
XVe siècle
Partial Ruin
Partial Ruin XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Abandonment and degradation before restoration.
1560
Major restoration
Major restoration 1560 (≈ 1560)
Work after the 15th century ruin.
fin XVIe siècle
Final withdrawal
Final withdrawal fin XVIe siècle (≈ 1695)
End of religious use.
années 1970
Partial repair
Partial repair années 1970 (≈ 1970)
Restoration of the apse and walls.
23 juillet 1976
MH classification
MH classification 23 juillet 1976 (≈ 1976)
Protection for historical monuments.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Saint John's Church of Cinarca (Rhines) (Box B 1143): Order of 23 July 1976
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Sources do not mention any historical actors.
Origin and history
The Church of Saint John of Cinarca, located in Sari-d'Orcino in South Corsica, is a religious building of elongated plan, built in the 12th century. It consists of a nave initially covered with an apparent wooden frame and an apse arched in cul-de-four. This monument, typical of Corsican Romanesque architecture, was partially ruined in the 15th century before being restored in 1560 and finally abandoned at the end of the 16th century. Its architectural features include circular perforations on the western and eastern facades, probably serving as natural lighting, as well as cavities containing polychrome ceramics.
Classified as a historical monument in 1976, this ancient Pevanian church in Cinarca illustrates the religious and community importance of Christian buildings in medieval Corsica. Its unique nave and apse, rebuilt in the 1970s, testify to efforts to preserve a heritage marked by the turbulent history of the island. The current ruins, owned by the commune, retain rare decorative elements, such as circular motifs above the tympanum and the cul-de-four, offering an overview of the sacred island art of the twelfth and sixteenth centuries.
The building, mentioned in the Mérimée and Monumentum bases, reflects the architectural transformations and successive abandonments linked to the demographic and religious evolutions of the region. Its classification in 1976 underscores its heritage value, while its approximate location (map precision estimated at 5/10) invites a cautious rediscovery of this emblematic site of the micro-region of Cinarca.
