Why do we have a Greek church in Cargèse?

A Greek church in Corsica? Yes it is! The city of Cargese is a little bit apart from the rest of the island: it's a real colony founded in 16176 by the Greeks who fled the Turkish invasion.

Genoa Republic (which reigned on Corsica at that time) gave them a plot of land in order to build a little city, a few kilometres from the current Cargèse.

Attacked in 1732 by Corsican inhabitants, Greek people took shelter in Ajaccio; then 20 years later, when Corsica was annexed by France, they could get back in Cargèse: the small city was born!

The Greek church was dedicated in 1874 by a Cypriote bishop.