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Origin and history

The archaeological site of Santa Maria di Riscamone, located in Valle-di-Rostino in Upper Corsica, is a monumental complex marked by a continuous occupation since Roman antiquity. The present church, dedicated to Saint Mary, was built in the fifth century on the remains of a Roman settlement, then rebuilt and enlarged between the sixth and ninth centuries before acquiring its definitive appearance in the twelfth century. A nearby octagonal Baptistery dedicated to Saint John the Baptist was built in the same 12th century. The excavations, particularly those carried out by Geneviève Moracchini-Mazel in 1956 and Philippe Pergola later, revealed complex substructions: a second apse structure parallel to the Romanesque church, which was built on a 6th century paleo-Christian building, as well as a cruciform baptismal tank in a adjoining building.

Santa Maria di Riscamone was the main church of the stake of Rostino, a medieval administrative and religious division of Corsica. The site, classified as a historical monument by decree of 15 May 1991, illustrates the architectural and cultural evolution of Corsica, from Roman times to the Middle Ages. The remains include the ruins of the chapel, of the monumental Baptistery, and the foundations of a primitive sanctuary, bearing witness to the superposition of times and liturgical uses.

The excavation campaigns made it possible to specify the chronology of the site: the first Paleo-Christian church (VIth century) was covered by the Romanesque building, while the Baptistery, built a few meters away, reflected the importance of the baptismal ritual in medieval Corsica. The ensemble, owned by the commune, offers a rare example of cultural and architectural continuity in the Mediterranean, where Roman, Paleo-Christian and Roman influences are mixed.

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