San Michele de Murato

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San Michele de Murato
inside view

The Romanesque-Pisan church of San Michele de Murato is located one kilometer from Murato , in the Bevincotal in the north of Corsica . It was built from green serpentine and white limestone blocks like a ribbon and checkerboard in the late Pisan style and dates back to 1280 AD. Prosper Mérimée considered it the most elegant church on the island. San Michele de Murato is one of the best preserved Romanesque sacred buildings in Corsica.

Its characteristic is the bichrome masonry with the bizarre alternation of horizontal bands of serpentine and limestone and the rich sculptural decoration. The unusually high rectangular campanile rises up on the west facade, the front of which rests on two overlong cylindrical columns, the drums of which are also made of green and white stone. In the 19th century the tower was raised during a restoration. As a result, the balanced architectural proportions were somewhat lost.

Representation of the fall of man (the snake hands Eve the fruit from the tree of knowledge)

Blind arcades , in the semicircle of which white and green wedge stones alternate, structure the west facade. There are human sculptures at the arches. Both side facades have two narrow windows. The monolithic archivolts are adorned with bas-reliefs. The sills of all windows are decorated with vine leaves and grapes, snakes, birds, stars or braided ornaments. The temptation of Eve by the serpent is depicted on the northern wall. Angels, vines, snarling animals and the Lamb of God with the cross are depicted on the ribbon cornices of the sills. A cornice adorns the end of the semicircular apse , the seven half-arches of which are made of wedge stones. The white archivolt of the single apse window is set with six green wedge stones and two stars made of small stones, which makes it look like a brick arch. Under the roof of the apse there is a series of ribbon cornices with naive motifs and stylized flower garlands that point to the pre-Romanesque period. Possibly they come from the previous church, on whose location the current church was built.

In the interior, the apse and nave are connected by a double projecting arch made of green and white stones. The wedge in the middle of the arch bears an eagle with spread wings. The bow legs rest on consoles with leaf decoration and human faces. Remnants of frescoes date from the 13th century and represent the Annunciation.

San Michele de Murato has been a monument historique since 1840 , making it one of the oldest protected objects.

See also

Web links

Commons : San Michele de Murato  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 42 ° 35 ′ 10 ″  N , 9 ° 20 ′ 1 ″  E