Corsica is a Mediterranean island that is situated north of Sardinia, west of Italy and south of France. It covers an area of thirty-three hundred square miles and has a population of over three hundred thousand residents. Corsica is one of the twenty-six regions of France, but the island is legally considered to be a Collectivite Territoriale. This makes its status similar to other French regions but enjoys broader powers. The island is covered with many olive, fig, chestnut and mulberry trees and has some incredible beaches. The island is most well known for being the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Corsica can trace its history to ancient Greece, when it was a Greek colony for a brief period of time. It would then become a region under the Roman Empire. Corsica would continue in this capacity until the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. The island was then invaded by a variety of invaders which included the Vandals, Visigoths, Sarracens and the Lombardians. King of the Franks, Pepin le Bref forced the invaders out and gave the island to Stephen II. It would go on to become briefly occupied by the Franco-Ottoman Empire and later, the Genoese. In 1729, the Corsican Revolution began and in 1755, the Corsican Republic was founded.
In 1764, France purchased the island from the Republic of Genoa. It would become incorporated as a French region by 1770. Today, Corsica has an economy that isn’t as well developed as Metropolitan France. The biggest section of its economy rest on tourism and its very popular with visitors to the Mediterranean. This is due to the mild climate, its mountainous terrain and its gorgeous coastlines. The island also attracts a lot of visitors due to the foods that are produced there. These include gourmet cheese, Corsican honey, sausages and wine. The cuisine of Corsica is a fusion between Italian and French delicacies and combines local ingredients such as rabbit, boar and trout.
A popular attraction of Corsica is Casa Buonaparte (National Museum of the Bonaparte Residence). This museum is located in the Bonaparte’s family ancestral home. It is situated on Rue Saint-Charles in Ajaccio and was occuppied by members of the Bonaparte family from the seventeenth through the early twentieth century. The first family member to move into the house was the great-great grandfather of Napoleon Bonaparte, Giuseppe Bonaparte. During the eighteenth century, followers of Pasquale Paoli looted the Bonaparte residence and burned a great portion of it. In 1797, the Bonaparte family returned to the Casa and started rebuilding it. It then passed through a succession of family members until it was turned into a museum in 1967.
Attractions in Corsica Worth Mentioning
- Calvi Citadel
- GR20 Hiking Trail
- Mare a Mare Nord
- Monte Stello Mountain
- Sentier du Douanier Trail
- Desert des Agriates Nature Reserve
- Road of the Artisans, Corsica Citadel
- Museu di a Corsica, Gorges de Spelunca
- A Cupulatta, Foret de Vizzavona, Foret d’Aitone
- Calanche Cliffs, Route de Bavella
- Gorges de la Restonica, Travignano River
- Place Foch, Reserve Naturelle des Bouches de Bonifacio
- Chapelle de Notre Dame de la Serra, Gorges du Tavignano
- Plage de Saleccia, Filitosa
- Iles Lavezzi, Gravona River and Fium Orbo River
Restaurants Worth Mentioning
- Delicatessen Le Hussard
- Restaurant A Pasturella
- Restaurant L’Escale
- Restaurant Le Matahari
- Hotel Restaurant Le Lido
- Hotel Restaurant Evisa
- lodging in propriano Ochji di mare
- Accendi Pipa and Restaurant Ile Rousse l’Escale.
Hotels Worth Mentioning
- Hotel Cyrnea
- The Grand Hotel
- Hotel Castel’ Brando
- Hotel Les Mouettes
- Marinca Hotel & Spa
- Hotel la Signoria
- Hotel la Villa