The village of Cargese
Village history
At the end of the 17th century, a Greek colony of Vitylo in the Peloponnese, numbering some 800 souls, decided to escape Turkish oppression. Taking the sea route, they landed in the Sagone region and settled in the village of Paomia on March 14, 1676, in agreement with the Republic of Genoa (owner of Corsica at the time).
However, their presence was not well accepted by the local population, who saw them as allies of the Genoese.
In 1731, when the Corsicans rose up against Genoa, the Greeks were driven out of Ajaccio, while the village of Paomia was burnt and pillaged.
It wasn't until 1769, when Corsica became French, that the Village of Cargèse was created. The Comte de Marbeuf, Governor of Corsica, had houses built for these exiled Greek families.
Today, the two communities, Corsican and Greek, live in perfect harmony.
However, each community has preserved its traditions. The names of Greek descendants are still recognizable by the most common surnames, such as Frimigacci, Stephanopoli, Capodimacci, Dragacci, Voglimacci or Garidacci.
The churches
The "Latin" Church of the Assumption was built between 1822 and 1828 by Corsican Catholics of the Latin rite. Funds were raised as early as 1817, and the land was donated by Antoine Andreani.
Unfortunately, in 1835, the church's roof was destroyed by a violent storm, while the interior work was still in progress.
In 1847, the church tower was completed.
From 1970 to 1975, the nave was painted, then from 1992 to 1997, two Russian painters decorated the choir. Inside, the style is Baroque, with trompe l'oeil paintings.
Saint Spiridon's "Greek" church is a Greek Catholic Helena church.
In the mid-19th century, Cargèse was home to almost 500 Greeks, who wished to build a church in the heart of the village. Work began in 1868 and was completed in 1874.
The interior is neo-classical, with the sanctuary separated from the nave by a wooden partition decorated with icons, known as the "iconostasis". This was donated to the Greek church by the prefect of the Propaganda Fide congregation. The exterior is inspired by the neo-Gothic style.
Today, both churches are open to visitors, and services are held every week.
It's very rare to see two churches of different denominations, face to face, united in a single village for a single culture: Corsican culture.
There are 2 other smaller churches in Cargèse. The Saint-Jean baptiste church in the hamlet of Lozzi, a simple domestic chapel built in 1845. And the church of Sainte Marie, in the hamlet of Paomia.
Genoese towers
The omigna tower, built at the tip of the point of the same name. History tells us that it was the last rampart of 127 Greeks against 2,500 Corsicans in revolt on April 27, 1731, when the Greeks, entrenched inside the tower, managed to escape to Ajaccio after a three-day siege.
The village boasts two other unrestored towers: the Cargese tower on the hill overlooking the village, and the Orchino tower on the peninsula of the same name.
The Genoese towers were built in the 16th century to warn and protect the population against barbarian invasions. Their guardians warned the population of future attacks from the sea by setting fire to them. The smoke then served as a warning signal for nearby villagers to take refuge inland. The towers were set up on each advanced point of the coast, so that one could be seen by another. The aim was, if necessary, to transmit the invasion alert from tower to tower and warn the whole of Corsica in less than two hours.