Saint John The Baptist church
The church of Saint John the Baptist, the largest of Corsica, was built between 1636 and 1666. The bell towers on the facade were added later in the 19th century.
The inside of the sanctuary is decorated with numerous works of art, of which we shall retain the silver tabernacle of the high altar, chiselled in the 19th century by the Sienese silversmith Gaetano Macchi. Above the marble statue of Saint John the Baptist (18th century), you will also notice a surprising group in stucco representing the Circumcision of the Christ. The impressive suspended organ dating from 1742 is decorated with three paintings representing scenes of Saint John the Baptist’s life. The holiday of Saint John is associated with the summer solstice and is celebrated with a bonfire, a resurgence of its heathen origin. In Bastia on the evening of June 23rd, an immense fire is lit beneath the ramparts of the Citadel brodering the pond of the Old harbour. The rite to take a first swim in the sea is associated to this holiday. It is said to have regenerative properties. On June 24th, day the holiday of the Saint, the Masses succeed each another with the sound of the chimes, and a night-procession takes place in the oldest district of the city.
Détails
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
- The silver tabernacle of the high altar
- The marble statue of Saint John the Baptist
Address
Église Saint Jean-Baptiste
4 Rue Cardinal Viale Prelà, 20200 Bastia
