Santo-Pietro-di-Tenda - Couvent Saint-Joseph

The island of Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France. It was colonized the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. After the Roman empire collapsed, Corsica got invaded by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. For a short while the island belonged to the Byzantine Empire, then the Franks granted the island to the Pope, in the early 11th century Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion. The island came under the influence of the Republic of Pisa, later it belonged to Genua for centuries. In 1755 after a long fight for independence from Genoa the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed, but in 1769, when the island was conquered by France. As the areas near the coast over centuries have been threatened by attacks and raids of pirates many old hamlets and dwellings are wide inland, high in the mountains. So most of the old churches are in the mountains and some of them are hard to find.

The former convent of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph) is an ensemble of a Romanesque church from the late 12 century and the adjoining Capucin monastery founded in 1552 and erected from 1630 on. It was founded by Mariano de Nebbio, founder of the Capuchin province of Corsica. In 1796, the monks were expelled and the convent sold as national property. It is in the center of agricultural land with trees and shrubs.

It was very much in ruins, when it was privately bought in the early 1970s and since then the owners are rebuilding and renovating the old structure. It seems to be an endless task. The owners were very friendly, let us in and showed us around. Merci beaucoupl

The apse, just like the facade, has some strange, "minimalistic" carvings, like this smiling face.