Amelia Tavella revives a 15th-century Corsican convent with perforated copper

In the rugged foothills of Corsica’s Alta Rocca region, Amelia Tavella Architectes has breathed new life into the Convent Saint-François, a historic monument dating to 1480 in Sainte-Lucie-de-Tallano. Long abandoned and partially in ruins, the former defensive castle turned monastic retreat has been sensitively rehabilitated and extended, transforming it into a vibrant cultural center known as the Maison du Territoire.

Tavella, a Corsica-born architect, approaches the project with a profound belief in invisible forces that shape sacred places. Perched on a promontory overlooking the village, the convent commands sweeping views of the island’s dramatic mountains, framed by an ancient olive grove that encircles it like a natural collar. This sublime setting, where faith meets the supernatural beauty of the landscape, inspired a design that honors both history and renewal.

Nature had reclaimed the structure over centuries of neglect, weaving itself into the stone walls as a protective armor against collapse. A fig tree fuses with the facade, its roots integrating into the masonry like living structural elements. Tavella preserves these organic interventions, viewing them as guardians that sustained the building until its resurrection.

The intervention strikes a delicate balance between past and present, ensuring neither dominates. The architect replaces the “phantom” missing volume with a perforated copper extension, its soft, precious material chosen for its ability to capture and reflect light. Reversible and respectful of Corsican heritage, the copper allows for a potential return to ruin, a gesture of humility toward time.

This noble metal directs sunlight inward, diffusing it softly like the stained glass of ancient churches. Rays dance across interiors, enriching spaces with an ethereal glow that echoes the prayers once offered by monks. The result is an extraordinary atmospheric interplay, where contemporary lightness meets historical weight.

Through this poetic fusion of stone, vegetation, and copper, Tavella creates a dialogue across eras, turning a dormant relic into a luminous beacon for culture and contemplation in the heart of Corsica.

Project Credit

Name: Le Couvent Saint-François
Location: France, Corsica
Design Firm: Amelia Tavella Architects / @amelia_tavella
Completed: 2021
Photo: Thibaut Dini

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