THE TERRA NOVA CITADEL
Citadel, home to the Governors' Palace, Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral and Santa Croce Church in Bastia
Discovering Bastia's perched citadel is well worth the effort: the best way is to climb up from the Old Port via the Romieu staircase and the descent of the Gabella to arrive at the great gate rebuilt under Louis XVI, as revealed by an inscription on its pediment. But don't worry: an elevator, further along the south quay of the Old Port, also provides access to this bastiglia, the bastille that gave its name to the town and was built in 1380 by the Genoese governor Leonello Lomellini. Called Terra Nova in contrast to the pre-existing Vieux-Port, the citadel was home to administrations and ruling families when Bastia was the Genoese capital of Corsica. To the north of the citadel, the Place du Donjon is surrounded by the Governors' Palace, now home to the Bastia Museum, and restaurants offering superb views of the Old Port and the deep blue sea. Don't hesitate to lose yourself in the adjacent alleyways, where time seems to stand still. To the south, you'll find the imposing Santa Maria Assunta cathedral and its magnificent adjoining chapel, Santa Croce. In summer, you can take an underground staircase to the powder magazine for a swim. In 1869, some of the citadel's inhabitants felt that it was no longer necessary to protect themselves, and circulated a petition to have the fortifications demolished so that they would be less isolated from the rest of the city. Fortunately, their request was not granted, and the citadel was saved!
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