Corsica in the Bronze Age
The earliest human presence in Corsica dates back to 9000 B.C. However, it is from the Neolithic period that the island of beauty has the most traces of occupation, and it is also at this time that it saw its first architectural gestures: dolmens and menhirs covered its territory. One of the island's most famous prehistoric sites is Filitosa, which was occupied well into antiquity! It lies in the Taravo valley, not far from the village of Sollacaro in southern Corsica, and has been listed as a historic monument since 1967. The site is incredibly rich: in addition to engraved menhirs, there are also monuments to the Torréenne civilization. The architecture of this period is symbolized by its main feature: the torre (tower), a smaller Corsican version of the nuraghe found in Sardinia.
The Cucuruzzu site in Levie, southern Corsica, is one of the main torre vestiges still visible. It's a veritable fortress-village, divided into "diverticulae": fitted-out lodges used for various daily activities (cooking, pottery, etc.). These were built from several blocks of granite rock on which the builders stacked stones, using the natural formations as foundations and structures. The fortress is organized around a central space that serves the various diverticula, arranged as if around a small open-air square.
Overlooking Ceccia, a 19th-century village upstream from Porto Vecchio, is the Torre de Ceccia, standing on a rocky outcrop overlooking the plain. The site was reused in the Middle Ages and during the Genoese period, always for defensive purposes.
These fortifications were designed to protect against invasion, of which there were many, including the Phocaeans, founders of present-day Alalia Aléria. But it's from the Etruscan period, in the centuries that followed, that the site still preserves some traces, such as a trading port whose ruins were unearthed a hundred meters from the current shoreline. From the pre-Roman period, the site still preserves a Greek rampart and a necropolis.
Roman and Romanesque Corsica
The arrival of the Romans in the 3rdcentury BC marked the end of these successive incursions. Alalia became Aleria, capital of the new Corsican province. The ruins of a forum, thermal baths and an entire road system bear witness to the presence of the ancient Roman city.
While Aleria was a military colony, Mariana was a civil one. Its remains reveal a classic urban layout, along the cardo (north-south) and decumanus (east-west). The decumanus took the form of a porticoed thoroughfare, sheltering merchants.
A Roman road linked Mariana to Palla (probably today's Bonifacio), along the eastern coast. The road network, in existence since prehistoric times, was rationalized with the Romans. Unfortunately, few traces remain; a few roads still bear the name strada romana at Prunelli-di-Fomorbo, but historians believe they were secondary roads.
With the arrival of the Roman Empire, Christianity also made its appearance on the island. The first religious buildings were erected on prehistoric or Roman sites (Santa Maria de Rescamone, Pianottolli-Ficaria). The first church built in Corsica was in Aleria: San Marcellu. Destroyed many times, it was rebuilt each time using stones from the ancient town. The present building dates from the 15th century.
In the twilight of the Roman Empire, under Byzantine influence, paleo-Christian basilicas were still being built, often complete with baptistery, as in Mariana. Only ruins remain today, but their mosaics bear witness to the Byzantine presence.
With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the pax romana came to an end. The island was again subjected to successive invasions until the 11th century. Christian buildings survived this long period of turmoil through destruction and reconstruction. The first chapels were rather small, undecorated and built in a rudimentary fashion, using split stones: San Cervone in Lavatoggio, Maria Assunta in Pie-d'Orezza. It was in the 9th century that decoration began to appear, with arches and arcatures, as at San Giovanni Battista in Corte, whose ruins can still be seen today. Only the apse still stands, in front of the remains of pillars that reveal its three-aisle plan.
Between Pisa and Genoa
After the decisive victory over the Moors by the Christians, it was the turn of Pisa and Genoa to fight over the island. To assert its dominance, Pisa embarked on a series of construction projects, particularly for places of worship. The Pisan style emerged between the 12th and 13th centuries. In churches and chapels, decorations became increasingly ornate, and the blocks that make up the walls were now rigorously aligned. Cathedrals were inaugurated, as in Nebbio. Churches were equipped with imposing baptisteries.
In the 13th century, it was the Genoese turn to dominate the island. In the 16th century, they built numerous towers to signal enemy ships, which can still be seen today all around the island. Of particular note from the Genoese era are the Tour de Diana overlooking the eponymous pond, and the Fort de Matra in Aleria. This period also saw the construction of "Bastia", the fortified palace of the Genoese governor, which later gave the town its name. Today's imposing palace was completed in the 16th century. It housed chapels, a prison, barracks and various administrative buildings, as well as being the residence of the island's governor. Perched on a mountainside, the ochre edifice dominates the town.
In the 15th century, under the influence of the Franciscans, the chapels were covered with frescoes. Examples include Santa Catarina in Valle di Campoloro and San Toma in Pastureccia. Corsica did not experience the Gothic period, which was developing throughout Europe at the time. It went from late Romanesque, which died out with the end of the Pisan style, to Baroque, which also came from Italy. The Romanesque thus enjoyed a rare longevity: almost five centuries!
Chapels were renovated to adapt to the new fashion. Old roof timbers were replaced by vaulted ceilings, altars masked outdated apses, windows were enlarged or pierced, and walls reinforced. One of the finest examples of the Baroque style is thechurch of Saint-Jean Baptiste, the island's oldest parish church and one of Bastia's best-known monuments.
Traditional Corsica
Like the architectural richness of Corsica's religious edifices, the vernacular architecture of Corsica unfolds in a variety of styles. This is materialist architecture: local stones are used for construction, and the buildings echo the surrounding landscape. From the cliffs and coastal plains to the mountains, housing is adapted to the different territories, offering a variety of architectural forms: from Mediterranean towns to mountain villages reminiscent of Alpine regions.
The village of Appietto in the Ajaccio region, for example, takes on the pink-orange hues of the region's granite, while the schist in the north takes on greyer, bluer hues. In the south, limestone is more readily available: white Bonifacio, perched on its cliff, is a good example. Here, carved out of the limestone, the King of Aragon's staircase is said to have been carved in a single night. In and around Appietto, you'll find some fine examples of Corsican rural architecture, including magnificent engraved lintels. In Valle di Mezzana, also in the Ajaccio region, houses have been built from stones taken from the nearby river, rounded by erosion. In the north, lauzes still cover the roofs. Some people are fighting to perpetuate the roofers' know-how, which consists of superimposing stones on the framework without adding any waterproofing materials, as shale stone is sufficient. Encouraging this local know-how would help avoid the imported equivalent: easier to lay, but at odds with the shale landscapes of Haute-Corse.
Near the coast, we find more urban and sometimes bourgeois Mediterranean architecture, such as the Palazzi. Today, they are often converted into hotels, like the Palazzu Pigna in Pigna. They have tiled roofs and white or ochre walls.
Contemporary architecture in phase with the territory
Contemporary architecture also knows this craze for the development of an architecture stamped Corsica. Recently endowed with a regional prize - the Prac (2019) -, Corsican architects are highlighted by the territory. The prize is awarded by size category, from XS to XL, not without a nod to the "starchitect" Rem Koolhaas. We will retain the Observatory of the Corsican deer, studio Orma Architettura, which offers three modules of observation wood where you can watch the endangered animal in its natural environment and without disturbing it. These open structures made of varnished wood contrast with the mountainous landscape of the region for their geometry and simplicity, but integrate with elegance. Through the windows cut into the bars of the structure, frames open onto the surrounding landscape.
On the other hand, many contemporary architects are restoring old buildings by incorporating modern materials, especially glass and steel. Others are still inspired, for the construction of villas, of the vernacular architecture and use local materials (schist and granite). The University of Corsica in Corte is partly built in granite, more decorative than structural. The set of buildings, white parallelepipeds set on a mountainside, contrasts in the surrounding landscape.
