A little history...
Cargèse, the most Greek of Corsican villages!
With a Greek church, family names that sound Greek, and some residents who still speak the language, Cargèse is definitely an ancient Greek colony!
A look back in time:
In the late 17th century, 800 Greeks from the southeastern Peloponnese region of Laconia arrived in Cargèse. They were fleeing Turkish tyranny. These Greeks settled in Paomia, but the villagers drove this new population towards Ajaccio.
After more than 40 years, the Greeks returned when a new French authority had just been established in Corsica. Cargèse was founded! A true cohabitation between the Corsicans and the Greeks was born.
The Greek community had no place of worship. Around 1868, they decided to build their church with their own hands.
Today:
With an exceptional panoramic view, the Greek church and the Latin church face each other, and services are held alternately in each church every week.
The first, Orthodox church, has a neo-Gothic style on the outside and a resolutely neo-classical style on the inside, with a sanctuary separated from the nave by an iconostasis. The rich decoration is typical of Eastern Rite churches.
The second, Catholic church, offers a Baroque style inside, with its trompe-l'oeil paintings.
A must to visit!!!
