It’s French, it’s the forth-largest island in the Med but is there more to it than that? Of course there is. Here’s the top five things you need to know.
1. From Italian to independence then to French
The Romans landed in Corsica during their illustrious reign and soon took over. The dialogue wasn’t the only thing that soon led to an Italian way of life. But it followed disputes from rivalling republics after the Roman Empire collapsed and resulted in almost all of the Middle Ages being under the Republic of Genoa. In 1729 Corsicans held a revolution and independence was granted finally in 1755. It was a sovereign state for a little while but the France came over in 1764 and bought Corsica on the quiet. After that it became French even though many Corsicans feel staunchly independent today.
2. Weird weather
Due to being a mountainous island, Corsica has a few different microclimates. The highest peaks range up to 2,700 metres (Monte Cinto) so the weather is snowy, windy and cold and there are no inhabitants up that high. Then there are a numbers of towns and villages below this, up until 610 metres above sea level, where the cooler and wetter weather has given birth to dense forests, more like Germany and Denmark. Finally there’s a much more Mediterranean feel at sea level, where it’s hot and dry summers and milder winters.
3. Best beaches (not) in France
As an island it makes perfect sense for there to be an abundance of great beaches on Corsica. There are beautiful long and sandy beaches on the island, both popular with sunbathers, swimmers and water sports fans. One of the very best is Calvi beach, on the north western side of the island. With miles and miles of soft white sand and water shallow and warm enough for all the family to spend all day there, it’s one of the best places for a summer holiday in the whole Med.
4. Napoleon
The great man himself Napoleon Bonaparte was born in the small west coastal town of Ajaccio in 1769. He came along literally a matter of years after the Genoese signed the island over the French. He was of Italian noble stock but changed his name slightly to make it sound more French. His family’s wealth and stature meant he was granted a more reputable education than Corsican schools could provide, and at the age of nine, young Napoleon was packed off to military school near Troyes in northern France.
5. Grapes over a 3000 years old…but no ones knows about it.
Vineyards have an unrivalled history on Corsica. The climate is simply perfect for making wine on the île de beauté. What’s strange though is that, even though it’s such a deep-rooted part of the island’s history, and the wine is some of the best in the whole of Europe, very few bottles ever make it off the island. It’s mostly red and mostly made from the niellucciu and sciaccarellu grapes, but it largely remains an enigma. If you ever see one in the shops then be sure to snap it up straight away.
Photo of Corsican flag by keyboardsamurai
One response to “5 things you need to know about Corsica.”
Report an inappropriate commentMarch 14th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Corsica is also a delight for walkers of all abilities.
It is renowned for the mountain walks that provide a challenge for the energetic, including the infamous GR20 long distance path.
But my favourite walk is the Sentier des Douaniers, a 19km coastal walk around Cap Corse at the northern tip of the island. This is a relatively easy walk with stunning scenery and is best done in the Spring or Autumn, away from the heat of the Summer sun.
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