Saint-Florent - Cathédrale de Nebbio

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 "Cathédrale de Nebbio" (aka "Saint-Florent Cathedral" or "Nebbio Cathedral" or "Santa Maria Assunta,") stands near Saint-Florent on a site already inhabited in Roman times and known as "Cersunum". A bishopric existed here from the 5th century to 1801. The cathedral was probably built between 1125 and 1140.

It got already abandoned by the bishops a century later, due to the insecurity of the coast and the malaria in the marshes.

The cathedral crumbled and got repaired at the beginning of the 16th century. Deserted again around 1576 the church lost its roof. It got restored again an in 1611 an episcopal palace was added. The palace got abandoned again and destroyed after it had been occupied mid 18th century by Genoese troops.

Following the visit of Prosper Mérimée, the cathedral got completely restored. Some claim, that it got "overestaurated", as it is indeed "spotless. Here is the portal.