September 17th, 2010 , 05:09 pm
That's all, my friends. Here is my last Corsican post. For dessert, I left a one-day excursion to the most visited city of Corsica - Bonifacio (in French transcription Bonifacio).
Writer Anatole France once remarked: “Sometimes one day spent in other places gives more than ten years of life at home.” For some reason it seems to me that he was talking about Bonifacio! The city is magnificent!
So, for your visit to the most Southern City In France, we chose the company Nave Va, which was already familiar to us. The cost of the excursion for one adult is 58 euros, for a child – 40. We depart from Ajaccio at 8 am and return at 18.30. You are given 4 hours to walk around Bonifacio: not much, of course, but quite enough for a first acquaintance.
This time there was no storm. One of the team members made us happy with this news as soon as we stepped on board the boat. It's nice that you found out and showed some concern. In general, we did not experience any discomfort during the trip.
We swam for some time accompanied by dolphins...
Unfortunately, we met them only once...
It takes about three hours to sail to the final destination of our journey, but on the left side there are beautiful landscapes...
so time flies completely unnoticed... Just don’t forget to sit correctly... on the left
In general, the coast from Ajaccio to Bonifacio is one of the most beautiful in Corsica!
Absolutely deserted beaches...
However, there are still traces of civilization... Do you see the ruins? Apparently this is one of the watchtowers.
The towers are located along the entire Corsican coast. A total of 65 of them have survived. When an enemy ship appeared in the distance, the inhabitants of the island were warned about it by a smoke signal...
People meet too... This lady noticed my camera and expressed dissatisfaction. Literally in a second she will build a composition called “fak yu” from her graceful fingers. Fi, madam...
And this aunt, it seems, was sunbathing naked literally a minute before our arrival... And now she chastely covered her nakedness... The one who was lying next to him, it seems, decided to hide...
Meanwhile, chalk (gentlemen geologists, am I speaking correctly?) rocks appeared - a sure sign that the final goal is already close...
By the way, Napoleon's Grotto is clearly visible, but more on that later...
The city is getting closer and closer...
Here he is, handsome!
Proud and unapproachable!
One of the myths about Odysseus mentions a city on a white rock that can withstand any siege.
Moreover! There is a legend according to which Odysseus even visited Bonifacio. I wonder if the city has changed much? I read somewhere that this is what he looked like!
Impressive, isn't it? The houses are located at an altitude of more than 60 meters above sea level...
The history of Bonifacio begins from the moment when a certain Marquis from Tuscany gave it locality own name. Later, the Genoese appreciated Bonifacio’s advantageous location from a military point of view and captured the city in 1187.
This is what the texture of the coastal rocks looks like...
On the way to the port, we sail past the famous Saint-Antoine grotto (or Napoleon's grotto, since from the outside it very much resembles the emperor's famous cocked hat)
And here is the port...
In general, the city is divided into two parts: the lower town of Marina and the Upper (Old) town, the one that is located on the rocks.
This is the view Old city from Marina...
How could there be no fortifications... This is a fortified city!
You can get to the upper city either on a special small tourist train (included in the price of the excursion), or on your own along the Monte Rastello pedestrian road (pictured)…
It's her...
The road ends at a certain balustrade, from which amazing views open up...
Including one of business cards Bonifacio is a fragment of limestone rock called “Grain of Sand”...
The views are really good...
From the balustrade you can see neighboring Sardinia (12 km away), but I won’t show photographic evidence...
Why do we need Sardinia if we are in Corsica!
There are no beaches in the city itself, but, as you can see, this doesn’t bother some people...
The purest sea water, perhaps one of the many calling cards of Corsica!
This is the Saint-Roch Chapel near the Porte de Gennes fortress...
Until the 19th century, the gates of the Porte de Gennes fortress were the only entrance to the Old Town... In fact, there is also drawbridge available...
Guests are greeted by a local musician…
Welcome to medieval Bonifacio!
Parallel streets are sometimes connected by corridors like this...
On the small “Street of Two Emperors” in house No. 31 from January to March 1793 Napoleon lived (in those days, of course, not yet an emperor, but an ordinary lieutenant)…
And Charles V stayed in house number 22 in 1541...
We continue to wander through the narrow streets of the city...
It is quite difficult to photograph any particular building in its entirety. Very cramped...
But the locals still manage to use scooters...
In general, Bonifacio has 2,700 inhabitants, most of whom are descendants of Italians who settled here after the city was captured by the Genoese. It was a long time ago, so few people here speak the Ligurian dialect...
Bonifacio is the most visited city in Corsica, so they try to sell every tourist here an absolutely unnecessary souvenir “as a keepsake”...
Including a kind of Corsican “birdhouse” so that all your guests ask: “Where did you bring this beauty from?” "Ah! It seems from Bonifacio!"
The Church of Sainte-Marie-Majeur is sandwiched on all sides by houses, and several tables of one of the restaurants stand so close to the side door of the temple that it is difficult for visitors to the tavern to figure out why they came here: to pray or to eat.
By the way, I meant this restaurant...
There are some pretty funny signs... It's not hard to imagine what this pig will turn into...
A cafe with a simple name “Fa”…
Attributes of a disco... Apparently, for beauty...
From the Church of Sainte-Marie-Majeur special flying buttresses are thrown to the neighboring buildings. They distribute the load from the vaults of the cathedral, and in addition, rainwater flowed through specially reinforced gutters into a special tank located under the loggia of the church... The volume of the tank is 600 m3. This was a strategic supply of water in case of a siege.
Between ordinary buildings there are also spacers and the same cunning rainwater collection system. There were reservoirs for it in every house.
The houses have very steep stairs. By the way, before there were no steps at all: you could only climb into your home using a rope ladder and, in case of danger, immediately pull it up with you. This is not a metal door for you! Everything is much more reliable! This is truly a real fortified city!
And this is another “trick” of Bonifacio – “the staircase of the King of Aragon”. In general, the city was besieged many times. A particularly difficult siege was established in 1420 by the troops of the Aragonese king Alfonso. So, the legend says that his soldiers, in order to penetrate the city, cut a staircase of 187 steps in the rock in one night! You can't climb inside a huge wooden horse! Right? This is more difficult work!
If you are not prone to dizziness from heights, then do not deny yourself the pleasure of visiting this “attraction”. The steps are quite steep, you need to go down very carefully. There are handrails. The stairs lead to a path laid right in the rocks hanging overhead...
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We'll start our sightseeing in Bonifacio from the port. The port of Bonifacio is a deep fjord, separated from the ocean by a 1.5 kilometer long cape, on which rises the citadel and the city itself. The city port is located in the depths of the bay. At the very end of the fjord there is a parking lot for pleasure boats, and there is also a large parking lot across the road. And if we leave the parking lot, we can explore the port and stroll along the embankment. From here you can clearly see a powerful defensive structure - the Etandar Bastion - one of the most representative buildings in the city.
It itself looks like a castle or an imposing fortress. Built by the Genoese, the Etandar Bastion was destroyed in the sixteenth century during the Franco-Turkish War. Later it was reconstructed in strict compliance with the Genoese plan.
Bonifacio is divided into two parts - the upper and lower town. The lower city is also called Marina. This is a seaside complex with its passenger port and the Kompareti embankment.
Along the embankment there are hotels, shops and numerous restaurants with terraces, which offer beautiful views of sailboats and luxury yachts sailing into the city from all directions.
Here you can visit the aquarium, where you can see beauty in a natural cave underwater world Bonifacio Strait - jellyfish, stingrays, colorful damselfish fish, magnificent corals, including black ones, as well as small fish, and many, many other living creatures.
At dusk, the embankment is illuminated by many lights. At this time, a vibrant entertainment life is in full swing here.
The stern walls of the citadel rise above the embankment.
Repeatedly besieged and destroyed over the centuries, Bonifacio became a fortress. The architecture of the city is marked by three successive fortifications: the Pisan fortifications, medieval fortifications or the Genoese citadel, rising like a great wall, adorned with square towers, the French fortifications completing the present appearance.
The Citadel has three entrances: Porte de Gennes (pedestrians only), Porte de France (vehicles and pedestrians) and Fort Saint-Nicolas (vehicles only).
From the Marina to the citadel you can ascend by two staircases: one of them rises from the Rue Saint-Erasme to the entrance to the citadel of the Porte de Gennes, the other connects the ferry terminal with the Porte de France gate.
The medieval Old Town is lined with tall houses of a distinctly Genoese style, with narrow facades often connected by buttresses.
The houses, many of which retain stone carvings, have gutters that drain rainwater into cisterns.
The old city is a tangled network narrow streets, where sunlight hardly penetrates.
The streets are partly pedestrian, with a bunch of restaurants, shops and souvenir shops and, usually in season, with an endless stream of tourists.
The Street of Two Emperors is named so because its houses No. 4 and No. 7 preserve the memory of two emperors: Charles V and Napoleon. In 1541, Charles V spent three days in Bonifacio on his way to Algiers, and stayed at number 4, and Bonaparte stayed at Bonifacio at number 7 for several months, planning a military expedition to Sardinia in 1793.
In the center of the Old Town is the Church of Sainte-Marie-Majeur (Santa Maria Maggiore of the 14th century) - the main church of the city.
This may be the oldest church building in the city, given its architectural style.
This is a basilica with three naves ending in semicircular apses.
On one of the portals with two granite columns the coat of arms of Genoa is carved.
The loggia located in front of the façade gives the church its originality. It is built over a water tank with a capacity of 650 m3. During the time of Genoese rule, four elders solved city problems here. From the loggia, twice a week, the mayor, who lived opposite, administered justice.
And now this is the ideal place to hide from the scorching sun.
Beyond the Old Town is Bosco, an area of the upper town in the far corner of the plateau. Then there is only the sea. The perimeter of Bosco is bordered by the remains of the walls of the Citadel.
The views from here are simply breathtaking.
In Bosco there is the Cathedral of Saint Domenique (XIII-XVIII centuries), a rare example of Corsican Gothic architecture.
The Church of Saint Domenique, presumably built on the site of the Templar Church, has an octagonal bell tower with an interesting crenellated finish.
Its architecture harmoniously intertwines Gothic elements, Romanesque style and Corsican aesthetics.
The exterior of the church is more reminiscent of the Romanesque style.
A large area in Bosco is occupied by a former sailors' cemetery, with family crypts, some of which claim to be architectural monuments.
Nearby is the now defunct monastery of Saint-François.
Also interesting in Bosco are the stone towers that once had a completely peaceful use - these were mills.
But let's go back to the port. Boat trips of any length are offered here: from an hour to a whole day, with swimming in numerous sea grottoes.
Among them, the grotto of Sdragonato or the Dragon's Grotto, which seems to follow the contours of Corsica itself, is especially interesting. The sun's rays penetrate it only in some places.
But the most interesting thing about these boat trips is the path along a 60-meter rocky cliff, on the edge of which the houses of the city hang.
The upper town makes a stunning impression with ancient houses built on the edge of a cliff, the foundations of which have been undermined by winds and sea waves.
From the sea, it seems as if the houses are stuck together, trying not to fall off the cliffs. This is truly an impressive sight.
Bonifacio is also called the city of open spaces and winds. Waves knock on its walls, and the wind sweeps the streets.
Bonifacio is a place that amazes and enchants at first sight. The “Pearl” of Corsica, as they call it here, for its beauty and the color of the steep cliffs. The landscape is so beautiful that these massive cliffs, sea caves and Lavezzi islands are recognized by UNESCO and are under its auspices. Bonifacio is the very first city in Corsica. It proudly stands above the sea on white cliffs 70-100 meters high and looks into the distance. Visible from the top of the fortress neighboring country Italy, or more precisely, the island of Sardinia. You can go up from the port-embankment along the steep stairs or by car to the parking lot near Cimetière marin. The sights of Bonifacio are explored in order.
Bastion and fortress
Arriving by car you will see Cimetière marin. What is this? Translated as a sailors' cemetery. It's not gloomy, although you don't have to go there. This is a historically important site for Corsica, as it is the first collective (for soldiers and sailors) cemetery on the island. Walking around it, you will see the ruins observation towers and the fortress wall of the bastion. The first stone of the bastion was laid by the Genusians, construction continued by the French. Bonifaccio has a complicated history. The unusual landscape and strategically important place has been noticed since ancient times: BC. The Romans lived in the vicinity of Bonifacio. In AD, it became the first city of Corsica. Bonifacio was founded by a count from Tuscany in 824-829.
Gothic Church of Saint Dominique
Looking at the turret and chapel of the Church of San Dominick, it is difficult to imagine that it was built at the end of the 13th century. The Gothic style is unique to Corsica, with only two churches on the island featuring elements of this style, both of them in Bonifacio.
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sainte-Marie-Majeure)
It is considered the oldest building in the city; construction began in the first half of the 13th century. While walking along the narrow stone streets, pay attention to the arches between the buildings. Rainwater was collected in them and, through a special system, flowed into a cistern standing in the church yard Holy Mother of God. Gothic-Romanesque style; It's worth going inside to admire the luxurious paintings on the walls and ceiling. Not far from the church you will see the entrance to the Etandar Bastion, which has become a museum of the history of Bonifacio.
Staircase of the King of Aragon
A staircase carved into a hundred-meter rock is the symbol of Bonifacio. According to legend, it was carved in 1420 at the behest of the King of Aragon by his soldiers. According to other versions, it was built either by monks who went down to a source of drinking water, or by residents, as a plan to escape and descend to the sea during a siege. Now there is no source, and the path runs right next to the sea. If you raise your head, it seems that the white limestone cliffs go all the way to the sky. Recommended if you have no health problems: after all, these are 187 steep and uncomfortable steps. Ticket 2.5 € (or a complex ticket including a visit to the Etandar Museum for 3.5 €).
Gate Porte Gênes
The entire fortress is like a museum under open air. Stone pavement and restored, but real, gates emphasize this feeling. Leaving the fortified city (or vice versa, rising from the port) it is impossible not to pass the 15th century Porte Gênes gate (literally the door of the Genusians). This was the only entrance to the citadel.
What else to see in Bonifacio?
- As you go down from the gate to the port, pay attention to the low chapel of Saint Roch. It is known that when the plague raged in the Middle Ages, the last infected person came here.
- Embankment-port.
- Lavezzi Islands, sea grottoes
Several companies offer boat excursions from the port of Bonifacio. Slowly sailing on a boat, you can see sea grottoes and a stone “map” of Corsica, carved by waves and wind between the rocks. Adult ticket €17.50, with snorkeling option slightly more expensive. Would you like to visit Lavezzi - one of the most beautiful beaches Corsica? Walk to the archipelago natural park – 35 €. There will be time to swim and explore the islands.
Have a fabulous trip to Bonifacio!
Ilmira Contini
The city is separated from the neighboring island of Sardinia only by the strait of the same name, Bonifacio. Only about 3 thousand people live in the town, and this only adds to its attractiveness in the eyes of tourists. A visit here is recommended for every traveler who is interested in real life.
A short excursion into the history of the city
The very first human settlements in this area appeared in prehistoric times. This theory is confirmed by the presence of an ancient cave near Bonifacio, which served as a refuge for distant ancestors. The age of this dwelling of primitive man is approximately 8.5 thousand years. The city itself appeared in 828, it grew on the site of the fortress of the same name, and was named in honor of the ruler Boniface II.
The town is divided into two parts: the Upper Town, consisting of old quarters and a citadel located on steep cliffs, as well as the Marina, a seaside complex and port quarter where fishing vessels, warships and pleasure yachts moor. There are others here that will not leave any traveler indifferent.
The Etandar Bastion, overlooking the city, was built by the Genoese. During the French-Turkish War in the 16th century, the fortress was completely destroyed. Its reconstruction was carried out in strict accordance with the old Genoese plan. Now it is one of the most important local tourist sites and simply a picturesque decoration of the city.
Local Attractions: What to See in Bonifacio
A trip to France should definitely include a visit to this ancient seaside town. The main attraction of the city, of course, is its impregnable ancient fortress.
However, besides the citadel, there will be something to see for the curious tourist. To get an idea of architectural features place, it is worth visiting the medieval and Pisan fortifications located in the Upper Town.
All historical Center The town is built up with tall stone houses, clearly of Genoese origin. Ancient facades of buildings located opposite each other are often connected by high supports. The narrow ornate streets simply breathe the Middle Ages; many of the stone walls have traces of carvings.
The houses are built so densely that even on the sunniest days light barely penetrates here. Most of the streets of the Upper Town are pedestrian, so nothing will stop tourists from leisurely enjoying the local beauties. It is recommended to definitely go down the Aragonese Steps, the steps of which lead directly to the sea.
According to legend, it was carved out of the rock in just one night - this was done when the city was besieged by the army. Spanish king. No less interesting is the nearby Cathedral of St. Dominic, built in the 13th century and built in the Gothic style.
Another architectural miracle is the temple of Sainte-Marie-Mager, which was built in the 14th century (it houses the relics of Saint Boniface). Near the port, right in the cave, there is an amazing aquarium, which displays the marine flora and fauna of this picturesque area.
How to spend time in the city
Since Bonifacio is a resort town, the tourist infrastructure here is quite well developed. Travelers are offered numerous shops with souvenirs and other local products, small taverns and restaurants with excellent French cuisine and fine wines, fish markets with exotic seafood, as well as cozy hotels - from inexpensive hotels to luxury apartments.
Those tourists who are interested will definitely like the city port, which provides shelter for all kinds of ships from a variety of European (and not only) countries. Unfortunately, there are no comfortable facilities in the town, since constant winds and strong currents make the bay unsuitable for this type of recreation. You can enjoy the warm sea water on the nearest beach, which is located near Rondinara Bay in the Gulf of Santa Manza (this is only 9 km north of Bonifacio).
