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DE CALVI AU DESERT DES AGRIATES
20260
Presentation
DAY 1: Calvi and Calenzana
Take the direction of the city center and start your visit with the Genoese citadel of Calvi. Begun in the 15th century, it was the seat of the Genoese governors and the bishopric of Sagone. Continue towards the Palace of the Governors and the Poudrière, which has become a cultural center.
A must on your itinerary, the Birthplace of Christopher Columbus. Was he really born in Calvi? A hypothesis, but not a certainty. A plaque affixed to a wall in the citadel indicates that he was born here in 1441, when Calvi was under Genoese domination.
Still in the upper town, visit the Saint Jean Baptiste church. Behind its modest facade, real treasures are to be discovered. The Saint Anthony's Oratory and the Palazzo Giubecca (residence of Napoleon's godfather) are to be seen.
Lunch break.
In the lower town, near the quays, admire the salt tower. Then visit the churches of Saint Mary and Our Lady of Loretto. On the road to Porto, discover the Chapel of Our Lady of the Serra and its Baroque and Romanesque art. This site offers a panoramic view of the city, particularly unforgettable in spring, when snow still covers the peaks and the scrub is in bloom.
To end the afternoon, head to Calenzana to admire the Sanctuary of Santa Restituta. Return to Calvi and overnight.
DAY 2: On the road to Ile Rousse
Leave Calvi and take the road to Aregno, where you will discover its polychrome 12th century church and its mysterious sculpted figures. It is one of the most admirable Pîsans buildings in Corsica. Then direction to one of the most beautiful villages in France: San Antoninu. True eagle's nest located on a rocky outcrop at an altitude of 500 meters, its cobbled streets, medieval architecture and typical small shops await you. This village remains one of the most beautiful examples of medieval architecture in Corsica. The 360 ° view is breathtaking.
Lunch
Take the road to Santa Reparata di Balagna, and visit the three chapels: San Bernardinu, Saint Anne and Santa Maria.
Do not miss the parish church dedicated to Santa Reparata and the ruins of the Sant'Angelo Convent.
Spend the night at Ile Rousse.
DAY 3: Ile Rousse
Start your city tour with the covered market with 21 columns, a listed historic monument.
Continue through Place Pascal Paoli. You can see the bust of the founder of the city and various statues offered to the city. From there go directly to the promenade "A Marinella" which runs along the seaside.
Also worth seeing is the parish church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary built in 1892, destroyed in a fire in 1914 and rebuilt in the 1930s.
Lunch
Start the afternoon with the lighthouse walk on the pier.
Discover the lighthouse dating from 1857 and enjoy the magnificent panorama of the red granite islands, the sea, the city's port. Nearby, the Genoese tower built in the 15th century. Beside it, still visible, are the remains of a former barracks of the Sainte Agathe chapel, which dates back to the year 1000. Visit the Church of Misericorde with its former convent and garden. Finally, head towards the remains of the fort built by Pascal Paoli in 1765.
Night in Ile Rousse or Calvi
DAY 4: The Agriate desert
Head towards the Agriate Desert, east of Balagne. This immensity of Mediterranean scrub and rocks preserves many vestiges of an intense agro-pastoral life as well as a unique megalothic necropolis in the Mediterranean. On foot or on horseback, a path allows you to explore this extraordinary site, which has become one of the largest natural sites on the Mediterranean coast (information from the Agriate mixed union at 04.95.37.09.86).
On the edge of these 16,000 inhospitable hectares, are some of the most beautiful beaches in Corsica, including that of Saleccia, where the film "The Longest Day" was shot.
Picnic lunch
Take the road towards Calvi and stop at the village of Lumio where you can admire the Romanesque chapel of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the ruins of Occi, an old abandoned village, the Genoese tower of Spano, the parish church of Saint Mary and the archaeological site of Monte Ortu.
Return to Calvi and departure for the airport.
Organize your stay and find even more advice ideas by contacting the Tourist Offices concerned.
