Église Sainte Marie Majeure / Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary (Bonifacio, Corsica)
N 41° 23.225 E 009° 09.547
32T E 513303 N 4581740
Romanesque-Gothic Église Sainte Marie Majeure (Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary) is one of architectural jewels in medieval centre of Bonifacio, probably the most picturesque town of Corsica...
Waymark Code: WM74BZ
Location: France
Date Posted: 08/31/2009
Views: 15
Église Sainte Marie Majeure (Santa Maria Maggiore in Italian) was built in the XIIth century by the Pisan rulers of Corsica. Sainte Marie Majeure is the oldest religious building of town Bonifacio.
The church, located in the heart of the town, fits perfectly with the historical heritage of the medieval environment, although thanks to several rebuildings it has lost some its original cachet. Typical feature of the church is a ingenious system of arcades, connecting the church with the houses surrounding it. The arcades were built for recovery of rain-water running off roofs into a large cistern under the loggia of the church, now converted into a conference room.
The loggia abutting the front of the church is the porch. At the time of the Genoese occupation, the place was the center of the city. Genoans dispensed here justice and discussion of major issues concerning the city.