Itinerary through Corsica Part 4

Albertacce to Ponte Francardo, 18 m. N.E. The road follows the Golo. To the left, a road 1 m., leads up to Lozzi, pop. 1050. 2 m.

from Albertacce is Calacuccia, 2779 ft. pop. 860, and 2 m. farther, another byeroad ascends to Corscia, 2913 ft., pop. 1000, about 5 hours walk S. from Asco, whence also Mt. Cinto may be ascended by the valley of the Asco called also Stranciacone. Asco is 5 hours from Olmi Capella by the Stranciacone, its affluent the Ta.s.sinella, and the Col de Petrella, 6440 ft., to the S. of Mt. Corona, 7032 ft.

Near the chapel of S. Pancrazio, 2786 ft., 4 m. from Albertacce is the commencement of the Scala di Santa Regina, as this part of road is called, cut in the face of perpendicular cliffs rising from the bed of the Golo. About half way are the small chapel and inn of Santa Regina, and the cave which in former times used to be the stronghold of robbers.

Thirteen miles from Albertacce is the Pont du Diable, 1083 ft., where four roads meet. The road southwards or to the right leads to Corte, 7 m. S. by Castirla and Soveria, and the Col of Oninanda, 2155 ft., between cliffs rising 1720 ft. above it.

[Headnote: ASCO.]

The road leading northwards extends to the beautiful highway between Ponte alla Leccia and Calvi; by Castiglione 3 m., pop. 550, at the foot of Mt. Traunato, 7186 ft., Popolasca, 7 m., pop. 200, with beautiful red granite pinnacles, and Moltifao 12 m., pop. 1050, with Inn, consisting of a group of villages, cl.u.s.tered on the slopes of the ridge which separate the valley of the Tartagine from the Asco.

The byeroad S.W. from Moltifao leads up the highly picturesque valley of the Asco, with magnificent forest trees, to the village of Asco, pop. 950, a group of hamlets seldom visited, although one of the best points from which to make the ascent of Mt. Cinto.

[Headnote: PONTE FRANCARDO.]

The road leading 5 m. N.E. by the Golo extends to the Ponte Francardo, where the rail may be taken. See p. 9 and General Map.

Calvi to Corte or to Bastia.

See General Map.

By Ponte alla Leccia. The finest part of the road is between Calvi and the Col Colombano. "If I were to permit myself to dwell in detail on the exquisite variety and charm of the drive, especially after quitting the _route forestiere_ a little E. of the hamlet of Palasca, I should wander far from the main purpose of this paper.

Valery, Gregorovius, Lear and others have done justice to its wonderful beauty, and the last truly remarks that 'those who visit Corsica without going through upper Balagne remain ignorant of one of its finest divisions,' adding, 'no description can exaggerate the beauty of this remarkable tract of mountain background and deep valley, which for richness of foreground, cheerful fertility and elegance of distance may compete with most Italian landscapes.' The district is densely peopled--at least twelve large villages are situated on the road itself between BelG.o.dere and Lumio, a distance of 21 miles--and picturesque hamlets with lofty campanili perch high up on the mountain slopes or crown the summits of the lower hills, whilst everywhere there is the richest culture and most varied produce, and the charm of the picture is completed by continually varying views over 'bowery hollows crowned with summer sea.'"--F. F.

Tuckett, Alpine Club.

[Headnote: THE OLIVE TREE.]

miles from CALVI miles to CORTe

{ }{61} CALVI. The road skirts the coast as far as Lumio, 6 m. from Calvi, whence it commences to ascend gradually by an admirably engineered road round the undulations of olive-clad mountains, disclosing at every turn a different view of the fertile valley of Balagna, extending from the distant mountains to the blue waters of the Mediterranean. It is said that there is no district throughout the whole of Italy where the olive attains such a size as in this valley. Of the tree there are three varieties, the Sabine (_Sabinacci_), the Saracen (_Saraceni_), and the Genoese (_Genovesi_), the most common of all, and is ascribed to the Genoese, who during the government of Agostino Doria compelled the Corsicans to plant olives in great numbers.

[Map: Corsica Western Central Region]

After pa.s.sing the picturesquely situated village of Lavatoggio, 9 m.; the Col Cesario, 1200 ft., 10 m.; the villages of Feliceto, inn, pop.

640, 16 m.; Castor, 24 m.; Speloncato; Ville di Paraso, pop. 750; Occhiatana, and many more perched on the surrounding mountain tops, or nestling in nooks among olive and chestnut trees, the diligence arrives at

[Headnote: BELG.o.dERE.]

{26}{34} BELG.o.dERE, 1017 feet, pop. 950, commanding the finest view of this beautiful valley, its orchards, fields and mountains undulating towards the blue sea. The diligence just remains long enough to give time to run through the gate and up the narrow dirty street to the top of the rock on which the houses are cl.u.s.tered, and there to take a rapid glance at the lovely scene around and underneath. After the gate, the diligence halts at the post-office, and then moves on a few yards towards the stables, where the horses are changed.

FOREST ROAD FROM BELG.o.dERE TO THE FOREST OF TARTAGINE.

[Headnote: CAPELLA.--TARTAGINE FOREST.]

From BelG.o.dere, Route Forestiere, No. 3, leads down to the small port of Losari, 6 miles N. from BelG.o.dere and 4 E. from the Ile Rousse. A continuation of the same route southward extends to the bridge across the Tartagine, 2355 feet, 25 miles from the Ile Rousse, in the great forest of Tartagine. It pa.s.ses the Bocca Campana, 2782 feet, 3 miles from BelG.o.dere; the Bocca Croce, 3045 feet, the culminating part of the road, 7 miles from BelG.o.dere; and 2 miles farther, the hamlets of Olmi and Capella, 9 miles from Speloncato; with ever-varying mountain and village scenes among great forests; 20 m. from BelG.o.dere is the Pont Tartagine in the forest of that name. The forest of Tartagine, enclosed within the high crests of the Capo Dente 6667 ft. on the west, and of Mt. Padro on the east, measures 7166 acres, and contains princ.i.p.ally the _Pinus laricio_ and the _P. pinaster_, intermingled with ilexes or evergreen oaks (p. 41).

"Olmi-Capella 2723 ft. is in an open airy situation, commanding fine views of the mountains to the S. and S.W., and protected to some extent on the N. and N.W. by the ridge which sweeps round to the head of the Tartagine valley. This ridge, though in the neighbourhood of the village only about 1000 ft. above the sloping plateau on which it is built, rises to the W. into the peaks of Monte Tolo 4370 ft., Monte San Parteo 5512 ft., Monte Cineraggia 5286 ft., Monte Grosso 6227 ft., Punta Radiche 6595 ft., Capo al Dente 6667 ft., and Monte Corona 7031 ft. The N. slope of this ridge is very steep, and commands most magnificent views of the Haute Balagne and the sea beyond, whilst it is traversed by numerous pa.s.ses which afford charming scenery. Besides the _route forestiere_, which crosses the Col de Bocca Croce 3048 ft., and by which the timber of the forest of Tartagine is conveyed to Ile Rousse for s.h.i.+pment, several mule-paths connect Olmi Capella much more directly with Ville and Speloncato by the Bocca Battaglia 3550 ft., and Bocca Croce d'Ovo 3629 feet; with Feliceto by the Bocca Pianile 5033 ft.; with Zilia and Calvi by the Bocca di Cineraggia 4698 ft.; with Calenzana by the Bocca Bianca 6155 ft., with Calenzana or the Val Ficarella by the Bocca di Tartagine 6093 ft.; and with the head of the valley of As...o...b.. the Bocca de l'Ondella 6086 ft."--F. F. Tuckett, Alpine Club.

[Headnote: PALASCA.]

miles from CALVI miles to CORTe

{28}{32} PALASCA, pop. 550. Situated lower down than the high road and the last village on this side of the

{31}{29} COL DE SAN COLOMBANO, 2625 feet above the sea. The view though more vast is less distinct, presenting a succession of mountain-tops, between which are dimly seen valleys with the sea in the distance. The diligence now descends into the narrow, rocky vale of the Navaccia, an affluent of the Tartagine, which enters the Golo a little above the important bridge called the

[Headnote: PONTE ALLA LECCIA.]

{46}{14} PONTE ALLA LECCIA. Inn at station. Here take rail for Corte (see p. 8) or for Bastia, 29 miles N.E. (see p. 10). The Ponte Nuovo is distinctly seen from the station. The two small houses near the railway bridge, on the S. side of the Golo, were Paoli's headquarters during the battle (see pp. 9 and 39).

{61} CORTe, see page 8.

Ajaccio to Vico and Evisa.

33 miles north; time 7 to 8 hours; fare 4 frs.

miles from AJACCIO miles to VICO

{ }{33} AJACCIO. At about two miles from the town the diligence commences the ascent of the low Col of Stileto, pa.s.sing the aqueduct for the Gravona water. On the left hand are the granite quarries whence the large slabs were taken for the monument to Napoleon in the Place d'Armes, as well as the long blocks for the pillars of the Ma.r.s.eilles cathedral. To the right are the village of Appietto, pop. 700, on a hill and the great cliff Monte Gozzi, 656 feet high.

{12}{21} Summit of the COL ST. SEBASTIEN, 1344 feet above the sea, commanding a lovely prospect of the Bays of Liscia, Sagona and Cargese, and of the valley of Cinarca, with its villages and vineyards. At the foot of the Col is a small inn called Le Repos des Voyageurs, where bread and wine and capital sea-urchins can be had. They are eaten raw, and taken out of the sh.e.l.l by cutting it in two horizontally.

{23}{10} SAGONA, junction with road to Calvi, 79 miles N. (see p. 17).

{31}{2} Summit of the COL ST. ANTOINE, 1488 feet. Near the top, at some distance to the left, is the village of Balogna, pop. 600, while in front is seen the splendid range of the Monte Rotondo, among which the most conspicuous is La Sposata, at the head of wooded valleys.

The road to the left or N. leads to Evisa, 18 miles from Vico, pop.

1000, and 2770 feet above the sea. _Hotel:_ Carrara, a comfortable house, where vehicles may be hired. Evisa is charmingly situated on the confines of the forest of Atone, containing 3,749 acres. Beyond Atone, or 11 miles from Evisa, is the large forest of Valdoniello, 11,483 acres. These forests, instead of extending monotonously on large plains, plunge into deep valleys, or creep up the sides of high mountains.

From Evisa descend to Porto (see p. 18).

[Headnote: VICO.]

miles from AJACCIO miles to VICO

{33} VICO, pop. 2020. _Inns:_ France, where the diligence stops; Voyageurs; Univers. Most picturesquely situated in the valley of the Liamone, surrounded by steep mountains covered with apple, peach, chestnut, walnut, olive and oak trees. On the opposite side of the valley is the large whitewashed convent of St. Francis, with terraced garden shaded by tall magnolias, beautifully placed on a thickly-wooded bank, above which is seen the small hamlet of Nessa. It is a favourite summer resort of the _elite_ of Ajaccio, who revel here on carpets of cyclamen, violets, and a profusion of other wild flowers, in the shade of the dense foliage of the chestnut groves around.

[Headnote: BATHS OF GUAGNO.]

Seven and a half miles from Vico up the wooded vale of the Liamone and by the Bridges of Silvani and Belfiori, the village of Murzo and the Col de Sorro, are the Baths of Guagno, with hot, sulphurous springs, resembling in their properties those of Bareges in the Pyrenees (see Black's _South France_). From May to September they are much frequented, when a coach runs between Vico and Guagno.

Time, 2 hours; fare, 3 frs. Coaches can be hired at Vico for Evisa.

Charge, 10 frs.

Ajaccio to Sartene.

53 m. S. by diligence, over a hilly road; 13 hrs.

miles from AJACCIO miles to SARTeNE