Citadel

Crowning a rocky headland, Calvi’s massive citadel was fortified by Corsica’s Genoese rulers from the 12th century onwards, and has fended off everyone from Franco-Turkish raiders to Anglo-Corsican besiegers. While it holds little commercial activity to match the modern town below, a scenic hour-long stroll is rewarded with superb views from its five bastions. Don’t miss the Caserne Sampiero, once home to the Genoese governor and now used by the legendary Foreign Legion, and the 13th-century Cathédrale St-Jean Baptiste, home to the ebony Christ des Miracles, credited with saving Calvi from Saracen invasion in 1553.