During antiquity, Mariana was an important Roman military colony, founded in 93 BC by Gaius Marius.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Venice is based on the eleventh century site known as La Canonica and was dedicated in 1119 by the archbishop of Pisa.

It remained the seat of the bishop of Mariana from 1269 to 1440, when it was moved to Vescovato Cathedral.

The church was listed by Prosper Mérimée after returning from his trip to Corsica in 1886 and was made a monument historique (a national heritage site of France) on July 12 in the same year.

The cathedral features a large bronze sculpture of Jesus by Marie-Claude Sei Dominici, a contemporary painter and sculptor from Bastia.