Corte
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Overview
Blessed with a stunning natural setting, circled by jagged peaks at the confluence of several rivers, the mountain stronghold of Corte is as forbidding as it is spectacular. Centring on a towering pinnacle that’s been fortified for over 2000 years, it still stands at the heart of Corsican identity. When Pascal Paoli made it the capital of his short-lived Corsican republic in 1755, most of Corte’s population lived within its hilltop citadel. French invaders devastated the upper town 14 years later; fleeing refugees included Napoléon’s mother, pregnant with the future emperor.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Corte
Perched on a south-facing promontory immediately below the citadel, and reached via a signposted staircase just outside the ramparts, this free-access…
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Corte
Housed in the converted and expanded former barracks of the citadel, this intriguing museum is devoted to Corsican anthropology rather than history. The…
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Corte
Corte’s citadel occupies a stark rocky crag that juts above the Tavignano and Restonica rivers. Its oldest portion – the château known as the Nid d’Aigle,…
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Corte
Below the citadel, place Gaffory is a lively little square that’s dominated by the 15th-century Église de l’Annonciation. The bullet holes that pockmark…
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Corte
A gentle stroll along the main strip of the newer, lower town – still way above the rivers – makes a pleasant prelude to an aperitif or meal. Set off down…
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