One of the city's oldest buildings
Mentioned in notarial deeds dating back to the early 13th century, the church of Sainte-Marie-Majeure boasts one of the oldest historical monuments in the Genoese colony. Begun by the Pisans in the 12th century, it was completed by the Genoese a century later. It’s at the crossroads between Romanesque and Gothic. And it was this famous blend of architectural styles that so struck writer Prosper Mérimée during his stay in the town in the 19th century!
It’s true that, over the course of its history, the building has undergone numerous alterations, including a terrible fire in 1895. Restorations carried out in recent years have restored the church to its former glory, with a recent Baroque-inspired fresco above the altar.