CHIESA SANTA MARIA MADDALENA

Built in 1780, the church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine was initially very modest in size. In 1793, it was dedicated to the island's patron saint. During the brief French occupation, the roof of the church was hit by a cannonball, without any major damage. A wooden statue of the saint from Liguria, dating from the 17th century, stands in the niche in the choir of the church. Two candlesticks and a silver crucifix given to the parish by the English admiral Horatio Nelson in 1804 are now kept in the Diocesan Museum next door. Between 1814 and 1819 the church was modified thanks to donations from the Genoese baron Giorgio Des Geneys, the Royal Sardinian Navy and the population. A sundial was placed on the Bas-Baroque façade and four niches were created to house statues of the Evangelists. But they are now empty. In the third chapel on the left, one can admire a painting of Saint Philip Neri by the Sassarese painter Antonio Cano, given by the vice-consul of Bonifacio in 1820. The big bell was cast in Genoa by Giulio Pagano. In 1952, a new restoration took place: the structure was lengthened by 8 m with a new arcade and the facade that had been knocked down was replaced by another one, in white. In 1967, a circular mosaic of St. Mary Magdalene was placed under the sundial. In 1993, the old façade of 1814 was restored and the roof and the colours of the interior of the building were restored.