SAINTE-MARIE-DE-L'ASSOMPTION CATHEDRAL
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Bastia's Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-de-l'Assomption, with its unique nave and many fine works of art
Built between 1604 and 1619, this superb church features a façade with three pediments. The interior, with a single nave bordered by two side aisles, is richly decorated with stuccowork by master stucco artists and painters of the 18th and 19th centuries, and enriched by generous donations of paintings, statues and silverware by bishops, parish priests and governors, making Sainte-Marie one of Bastia's finest churches. The fact that it was the seat of the bishops of Mariana gives it the title of cathedral. Thanks to important bequests, in particular that of Monsignor Fornari, it has been enriched over the centuries by numerous works of art of excellent craftsmanship. On the right as you enter, in a glass niche, is the superb Assumption of the Virgin in solid silver, chased by Gaétano Macchi in 1852. This work of art is carried in procession through the streets of the town every August 15. The organ built by the Serassi brothers is the only Italian-built instrument listed as a Monument Historique in France. Remarkable paintings adorn its side chapels, including a superb 15th-century "pala" depicting the Assumption of the Virgin by Leonoro Aquilani and a beautiful Crucifixion by Luca Cambiasp (16th century). A curiosity: the hats of the bishops who have sat here hang from the choir vaults. Note that the large statue of the Assumption of the Virgin (19th century) above the high altar is 2.60 m high and made of papier-mâché!
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