About Corsica

History of Corsica

The ancient history of Corsica has not been buried, as prehistoric sites such as Filitosa, now a UNESCO World Heritage site prove. The Greeks and the Romans left their mark in the form of vineyards and oyster farms and the town of Aléria (Alalia) is a monument to their rule.

Afterwards the island lay open to attack from the Moors, the conquerors of the Mediterranean. Last but not least the Pisans and the Genoese vied with one another for the land, the Genoese finally being victorious in 1284. Traces of these last invaders are on nearly every headland, with the defensive towers they built standing as a testament to their present.

After a revolt by the famous pioneer Pasquale Paoli opposing Genoese rule, the island finally came under what was thought then the secure rule of France by 1769. However, with the intervention of the French Revolution in 1789, Pasquale Paoli became disenchanted with the situation and tried once more to lead the island into independence. He enlisted the help of the British who actually governed the island for two years before being forced off the island by the French. The island's most famous son is Napoleon; born in Ajaccio, he never returned to the island after becoming Emporer of France and whilst imprisoned he said he could smell his 'scented isle' of Corsica.

The rich and chequered history of Corsica manifests itself around every corner. Monuments, citadels, watchtowers and museums scattered all over the island bear witness to the ever-changing and often turbulent past of this multi-cultural island. Always at the mercy of the invaders, it is perhaps for this reason that Corsicans have retained their staunch independence - 'Once a Corsican, always a Corsican'.

Corsica is steeped in a long tradition of its native culture from which its own free spirit has evolved. It is a deeply religious society which can be seen in its sacred monuments, Romanesque churches and Gothic frescoes. Corsicans have held steadfastly onto their beliefs as is manifested in their most beguiling and intriguing hooded and barefooted ceremonial processions. Out of these ceremonies arises the chanting which is so familiar on Corsica and of which there has been a resurgence on the island in the form of polyphonic singing. Old traditions die hard and handicrafts inherited from a pastoral society are still alive.

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