Part 8 (1/2)

Solenzara to Sartene,

46 m. S.W. This forest road, No. 4, ascends the valley of the Solenzara, crosses the great S.E. range at the Col de Bavella, descends into the valley of the Rizzanese, pa.s.ses through the villages of Zonza, San Gavino, Levie, and Ste. Lucie, and joins the highroad between Ajaccio and Bonifacio at the milestone 76690 (47 m.) from Ajaccio, 3 m. from Sartene, and 42 m. from Solenzara.

The road, after pa.s.sing up by the S. side of the river through olive groves and ”maquis,” arrives at the Col and Maison de Cantonniers de Castelluccio, 210 ft., 4 m. from Solenzara. Two m. farther by the Pont de Ghiadole, the road crosses the Solenzara by the Calzatojo bridge, 6 m. from Solenzara, 340 ft., winds upward by the deep gully of the Fiumicello, which having crossed by the bridge 7 m. from Solenzara, ascends a steep winding road bordered with great trees to the Maison de Cantonniers de Rocchio-Pinzuto, 8 m., 1060 ft., at the foot of the great cliff of that name.

The road still winding upwards pa.s.ses the immense wall of reddish cliffs called the Rochers de Bavella before arriving at the Col de Larone 10 m., 2056 ft. The road, still winding, ascends a huge promontory between the torrents Fiumicello and S. Pietro, separating into two distinct parts the forest of Bavella, and crosses the Pont de Bocintoro, 1510 ft., 12 m. A little farther, in a wild yet beautiful situation, is the Maison de Cantonniers d'Arghiavara. From the Pont 1 m. is the better house, la maison forestiere de l'Alza, commanding superb views, situated among great trees and nursery gardens.

The ascent from this is by a steep road, almost impracticable for vehicles, through a forest of the stateliest and oldest pines in Corsica.

18 m. from Solenzara and 28 from Sartene is the Maison de Cantonniers de Bavella, 3885 ft., near the summit of the Col Bavella, 4068 ft. In this house of refuge there is generally comfortable accommodation and a supply of provisions. The surrounding huts are occupied in July and August by people from the plains about Solenzara, who come here to escape the fever-producing malaria. The house commands, even from the windows, grand views.

On the other side of the Col, 550 ft. below it and 2 m. from it, is the Maison de Cantonniers de Ballatojo, from which the road descends amidst great pines mixed with a few oaks and ilexes, in view of the Asinao forest and of the lofty granite pinnacled precipices, 10 m. long, between Mt. Colva, 4520 ft., and the Point Tintinaja, 6658 ft.

Zonza, good inn, pop. 1040, height 2582 ft., 24 m. from Solenzara and 21 m. from Sartene, hidden among chestnut trees and conveniently situated for visiting the forests of Zonza, Asinao, and Bavella.

[Headnote: S. GAVINO.]

3 m. beyond is San Gavino di Carbini, pop. 770, height 2238 ft., a poor miserable village, where there existed in 1365 a sect of socialists, with whom even the women and children were held in common, and by whom were committed frightful abominations.

[Headnote: LEVIE.]

30 m. from Solenzara and 16 m. from Sartene is Levie, consisting of various hamlets. Inn where the coach, running between this and Sartene, stops. Pop, 2040, height 2238 ft This village, easily approached, is situated among mountains abounding with game. It commands superb views, and makes in April a very pleasant residence. In winter it is rather cold. On the road between Levie and Santa Lucia di Tallano, 5 m. from the Col d'Aja Vignarsa, 2408 ft., are seen the valley of the Rizzanese and the Gulfs of Valinco and Ajaccio. On the gra.s.sy table lands of the Col d'Aja are many rare flowers, among others a species of red gladiolus.

[Headnote: S. LUCIA DI TALLANO.]

5 m. W. from Levie and 11 from Sartene is Santa Lucia di Tallano, pop.

1300, Inn where the Sartene and Levie coach stops. S. Lucia is built in terraces on the hills rising from the Fiumicicoli. Church 14th cent. The wines grown in this neighbourhood command good prices in the Corsican market.

Below, on the Fiumicicoli, is a hot sulphurous spring. On the way down to the river by the sides of the Point Campolaccia, near a place called Campolajo, is beautiful hornblende, page 27.

From Santa Lucia the road leads southwards by the Rizzanese to Sartene, p. 27.

SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF CORSICA.

It is not known who the original inhabitants of Corsica were. The Phocaeans of Ionia were the first civilised people that established settlements in Corsica. About the year 560 B.C. they landed on the island, and founded at the mouth of the Tavignano the city of Aleria, which after a short occupation they were compelled to abandon. After an interval of a few years they again returned, rebuilt Aleria, which they fortified, and endeavoured to maintain their ground against the natives.

After a struggle of some years they were again compelled to leave the island. The next foreign occupants of Corsica were the Tuscans, who founded the city of Nicaea, but they in their turn were compelled to give way before the growing maritime power of the Carthaginians, whose jurisdiction in the island was unquestioned till the beginning of the first Punic War. On that occasion the Romans sent out a fleet, drove the Carthaginians from the island, and exacted at least a nominal homage from the native population. They did not, however, fully establish their power here till about thirty years later, and even then rebellions and revolts were of constant occurrence.

[Headnote: ROMAN COLONIES.]

The first step made towards the real subjugation of the island was the establishment of the two colonies on its eastern coast-that of Aleria by Sulla and that of Mariana by Marius. In the time of the emperors the island had fallen into disrepute among the Romans, by whom it was used chiefly as a place of banishment for political offenders. One of the most distinguished of these sufferers was the younger Seneca, who spent in this island eight years of banishment ending with 49 A.D.

[Headnote: ARMS.] On the downfall of the Roman empire in the West, Corsica pa.s.sed into the hands of the Vandals. These barbarians were driven out by Belisarius, but after his death, 565 A.D., the resistless hordes of Attila once more gained possession of the island. Since that period it has successively owned the dominion of the Goths, the Saracens, the Pisans and the Genoese. The impress of the last is to be found in the style of the church architecture, while the armorial crest of the island, a Moor's head, with a band across the brow, dates from the expedition of the Saracen king, Sanza Ancisa.

The patroness of Corsica, the ”Protectrice de la Corse,” is Santa Devota; who is also the patron saint of Monaco. The Corsicans often style the Virgin Mary simply La Santa; and in their common exclamation Santa! Maria is understood.

[Headnote: SAMPIERO.]

Among the most renowned and intrepid patriots in the struggle of the Corsicans to free themselves from the Genoese was Sampiero, born of poor parents towards the end of the 15th cent, in Dominicacci, one of the hamlets which compose Bastelica. His house having been burned down by the Genoese, the inhabitants in the 18th cent. constructed a new one on the same site, on which Mr. Wyse, an Irishman, affixed a tablet with an inscription in 1855, expressing his admiration of the man. After serving with great distinction in the armies of the Italian princes and in those of Francis I., King of France, Sampiero returned to Corsica in 1547 and married the fair Vanina, heiress of Ornano, belonging to one of the oldest families in the island.