Saint-Roch church

This small building tucked along Rue Napoléon is the Oratory of Saint Roch, a quiet space dedicated to prayer.

While there was already a chapel here in the 16th century, the building you see today was constructed in 1604 by Francesco Marengo. Its neoclassical façade, including the elegant white marble doorway topped with a scallop shell, the symbol of pilgrimage, was added in the 19th century.

You might be wondering, why Saint Roch? At the time, Corsica was ravaged by the plague. Tradition has it that Saint Roch prayed for Bastia to be spared, and the city was miraculously untouched by the epidemic. In thanks, the people of Bastia built this oratory to honour him, and to this day, Saint Roch is still celebrated here every year on August 16th.

Step inside, and you’ll find a peaceful nave with a polychrome wooden statue of the saint, along with several paintings depicting moments from his life. It may not look like much from the outside, but don’t let the modest size fool you, the richly decorated interior behind the marble entrance is definitely worth a peek.