From the Style of Living at Wordpress.com


            

I’ve been wanting to travel to the strikingly beautiful Corsica island in the Mediterranean for some time now. Primarily because my great great grandfather was born there and that is the perfect excuse for me to have a Mediterranean vacation. You know, “to get in contact with my ancestors.”  Katie Bowman, from Times Online, visited the island recently and recalls; “the locals, it seems, know they live in one of the world’s most beautiful spots and they’re not interested in bumping up the population.” Residents wanting to make Corsica a secret is an advantage for travelers seeking a secluded place. Corsica is almost a tourist free destination; therefore, your experience is guaranteed to be authentic. 

Honore de Balzac described this unspoiled, wild and defiantly independent destination as ”a French island basking in the Italian sun.” Dramatic mountains, sandy beaches and turquoise waters surround the “Isle of beauty”, giving visitors a combination of a beach vacation with impressive inland and outland sightseeing. Known as Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthplace, Corsica is described by travelers as one of the most beautiful places in the world, that seduces every visitor.

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The Bonaparte family home in Ajaccio was a large four-storey building that proved comfortable for Napoleon his brothers and sisters. All, but Joseph, were born on the first floor of the house.

In 1793, the family members left Corsica because of their pro-French political leanings and it wasn't until 1797 that his mother Letitzia returned.

The house has been enlarged and refurbished several times in its history and is now a museum.

Visitors can get a glimpse of 18th Century Corsica in a display and tour the rooms that the children shared. Also on show is the room Napoleon is said to have stayed in for the last time on his way back to France from Egypt.

There are many other historical and family displays within the museum dating from before Napoleon's rise to power right through to the Second Empire and Napoleon III.

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Corsica (French: Corse; Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily, Sardinia, and Cyprus). It is located west of Italy, southeast of France, and north of the island of Sardinia.

Corsica, a region of France, was ruled over the centuries by the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Goths and Saracens. It was eventually sold to France by the Genoese.  Famous for its independent spirit, rugged beauty, olive oil, wine and citrus fruit.

Corsica is considered one of the 26 régions of France, although strictly speaking Corsica is designated as a "territorial collectivity" (collectivité territoriale) by law. As a territorial collectivity, it enjoys greater powers than other French régions, but for the most part its status is quite similar. Corsica is referred to as a "région" in common speech, and is almost always listed among the other régions of France. Although the island is separated from the continental mainland by the Ligurian Sea and is much closer to the Italian than to the French mainland, politically Corsica is part of Metropolitan France. It was once briefly an independent Corsican Republic, until being incorporated into France in 1768.

Corsica is famed as the birthplace of Napoléon Bonaparte. His ancestral home, Casa Buonaparte, is located there still.

Statistics

Corsica is 183 kilometres (114 mi) long at longest, 83 kilometres (52 mi) wide at widest, has 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) of coastline, more than 200 beaches, and is very mountainous, with Monte Cinto as the highest peak at 2,706 metres (8,880 ft) and 20 other summits of more than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Mountains comprise ²⁄₃ of the island, forming a single chain. Forest comprises ¹⁄₅. Approximately 3,500 km² (1,400 sq mi) of the total surface area of 8,682 km² (3,352 sq mi) are dedicated to nature reserves (Parc Naturel Régional de Corse), mainly in the interior.

The island is 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Tuscany in Italy and 170 kilometres (110 mi) from the Côte d'Azur in France. It is separated from Sardinia to the south by the Strait of Bonifacio, a minimum of 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) wide.

Zones by altitude

The island is divided into three major ecological zones by altitude. Below 2,000 feet (610 m) is the coastal zone, which features a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. The natural vegetation is Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrubs. The coastal lowlands are part of the Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests ecoregion, in which forests and woodlands of evergreen sclerophyll oaks predominate, chiefly Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) and Cork Oak (Quercus suber). Much of the coastal lowlands have been cleared for agriculture, grazing and logging, which have reduced the forests considerably.

From 2,000 to 6,000 feet (610 to 1,800 m) is a temperate montane zone. The mountains are cooler and wetter, and home to the Corsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion, which supports diverse forests of oak, pine, and broadleaf deciduous trees, with vegetation more typical of northern Europe. The population lives predominantly below 3,000 feet (910 m), with only shepherds and hikers at 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 910 m).

From 6,000 to 9,000 feet (1,800 to 2,700 m) is a high alpine zone. Vegetation is sparse. In spite of the southern location, the highest elevations are snow-capped with small glaciers. This zone is uninhabited.

 Parc Naturel Régional de Corse

The island has a natural park (Parc Naturel Régional de Corse), which protects thousands of rare animal and plant species. The park was created in 1972 and includes the Golfe de Porto, the Scandola Nature Reserve (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and some of the highest mountains on the island. This park is protected and cannot be reached on foot, but people can gain access by boat. Two endangered subspecies of hoofed mammals, the mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) and Corsican red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus) inhabit the island; the Corsican red deer is endemic.Culture

Cuisine

The food of Corsica can best be defined as a fusion of the French and Italian cuisines, due to its close geographical positions with the two countries. Popular foods such as pizza, pasta, cured meats and sheep's milk cheeses can be found. Each region within the island has its own take on recipes. In the mountains, wild meat like boar, rabbit, and trout from the many rivers offer variety according to the seasons.

Corsica Food & Wine

 Seafood

On the coast you will find a good selection of fish and seafood although due to reduced fish stocks in the Mediterranean, prices are now fairly high. Look out for red mullet (rouget), sea bream (loup de mer) and crayfish (langoustine). Oysters (huitres) are particularly recommended in the east and trout caught in the unpolluted rivers is a good alternative to meat inland

Dairy

Much of the mountain cooking is based around the locally produced dairy products and in particular the ewe's cheese brocciu which is similar to goat's cheese. Brousse is a cow's milk alternative which is often available in the summer but is not nearly as good.

Charcuterie

Cured meats are very popular and a wide selection are usually available:

• Prisutu - smoked ham 
• Figatellu/fitonu - liver sausage 
• Salamu - salami-style sausage 
• Valetta - cheek 
• Boudin - black pudding
• Fromage de tête - "head cheese" made from seasoned pigs' brains

Desserts

Most traditional Corsican desserts are milk or egg based:

• Fiadone - soft cheese tart which is soaked in spirit and flambéed 
• Beignets - chestnut flour doughnuts, sometimes stuffed with cheese

Corsican Wine & Beers

Corsica produces several very good wines, which are hardly known outside the island. The producers are scattered and tend to be highly individual - Corsican, in other words. The grape harvest is still often cut by hand, and visiting a vineyard for an afternoon is a pleasant expedition.

James Boswell was an aficionado, writing in his Tour of Corsica published in 1782: "The flavours of wines differ all over the island. It is a true marvel that such a slight difference in soil and exposure generates such considerable diversity." Some wines are made with traditional Corsican varieties of grape, such as the delicious white Vermentino, Nielluccio, the basis of the esteemed Patrimonio red, and several excellent rosé wines. As a quick guide, wines from Patrimonio, Ajaccio and from near Sartène are outstanding, and the Domaine Vico wines are notable.

The capital of Corsica is Ajaccio (Corsican: Aiacciu).

Economy

 

Corsica's spectacular coastline is a major drive for tourism (here by the town of Propriano).

Tourism plays a major role in the Corsican economy. The island's pleasant climate, beautiful mountains and breathtaking coastlines make it a popular destination among the French and other Western Europeans. However, the island has not had the same level of intensive development as other parts of the Mediterranean and is thus relatively unspoiled. Tourism is particularly concentrated in the area around Porto Vecchio and Bonifacio in the south of the island and Calvi in the northwest.

In 1584 the Governor of Genua ordered to all farmers and landowners to plant four trees yearly, among which a chestnut tree (plus an olive-, fig- and mulberry-tree). Many communities owe their origin and former richness to the ensuing chestnut woods. Chestnut bread keeps fresh for as long as two weeks. Corsica produces gourmet cheese, wine, sausages, and honey for sale in mainland France and for export. Corsican honey, of which there are six official varietals, is certified as to its origin (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) by the French National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO).

The Bay of Calvi: Corsica is the most mountainous Mediterranean island.

Politics

Corsica is currently governed almost as any other région of France, as explained in the introduction. There are several movements on the island calling for some degree of Corsican autonomy from France, or even full independence. Generally speaking, autonomist proposals focus on the promotion of the Corsican language, more power for local governments, and some exemptions from national taxes in addition to those already applying to Corsica.

The French government is opposed to full independence, as it would threaten France's unity, but has at times shown support for some level of autonomy. There is support on the island for proposals of greater autonomy, but polls show that a large majority of Corsicans are opposed to full independence.

Some groups who claim to support Corsican independence have carried out a violent campaign since the 1970s that includes bombings and assassination, usually targeting buildings and officials representing the French government or Corsicans themselves for political reasons. A war between two rival independence groups led to several deaths in the 1990s. The peaceful occupation of a pied-noir vineyard in Aléria in 1975 marked a turning point when the French government responded with overwhelming force, generating sympathy for the independence groups among the Corsican population. However, events such as the murder of préfet Claude Érignac on February 6, 1998 (for which Yvan Colonna was arrested five years later) have only served to convince many in Corsica, as well as in the French government and the general French public, that Corsican nationalists cannot be trusted with more autonomy.

Some of the independence groups are known to practice extortion and other intimidatory tactics, not dissimilar from mafia activity in Sicily and southern Italy. Non-Corsican homeowners may be threatened with the destruction of their home, which can be avoided only through paying a ransom.

The influence of Pisa in Corsica can be seen in the Romanesque-Pisan style of the Church of Aregno

Journalists writing articles critical of the armed groups have sometimes been threatened. Prosecutions are made difficult by a pervasive "law of silence". It is sometimes suggested that such behavior could be directly related to longstanding cultural traditions of banditry in the rugged interior of the island.

In 2000, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin agreed to grant increased autonomy to Corsica in exchange for an end to violence. The proposed autonomy for Corsica would have included greater protection for the Corsican language (Corsu), the island's traditional language (which is also considered to be a dialect of Italian), whose practice and teaching, like other regional or minority languages in France, had in the past been discouraged. According to the UNESCO classification, the Corsican language is currently in danger of becoming extinct. However, the plans for increased autonomy were opposed by the Gaullist opposition in the French National Assembly, who feared that they would lead to calls for autonomy from other régions (such as Brittany or Alsace), eventually threatening France's unity as a country.

In a referendum on July 6, 2003, a narrow majority of Corsican voters opposed a project from the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin and then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy that would have suppressed the two départements of the island and granted greater autonomy to the territorial collectivity of Corsica.