Itinerary through Corsica Part 7

The road to Bastia, after pa.s.sing the Travo, 44 m., Vicchiseri, 46 m., and Casamozza, 48 m., arrives at the railway station of

[Headnote: GHISONACCIA.]

{53}{50} GHISONACCIA, pop. 850. On the Fium Orbo, 36 m. S.E. from Corte.

From this a department road of 4 m. leads to the hot sulphurous baths of Pietrapola, with a large hotel in a healthy situation.

From Ghisonaccia a carriage road extends N.W. to the villages of Poggio-di-Nazza, 9 m., and Lugo-di-Nazza, 11 m. From Ghisonaccia railway station a forest road extends 18 m. N.W. to Ghisoni, where it joins the high road between Sartene and Vivario (p. 29). The southern prolongation of this road leads to Zicavo, Petreto, Bicchisano, and Portopollo, on the Gulf of Valinco.

Forty-six m. from Bastia is Casabianda. H. Perett; a village situated on a well-cultivated estate belonging to the government; formerly used as an agricultural penitentiary for juvenile criminals. In the hot season it is safer to pa.s.s the night at Casabianda than at Aleria.

[Headnote: ALERIA.]

miles from BONIFACIO miles to BASTIA

{58}{44} ALERIA. Inn. The capital of Corsica till the invasion of the Saracens in the 4th cent., now a poor village with an old Genoese fort, situated at the mouth of the Tavignano, 1 m. from the Etang de Diane. Ancient Aleria, the colony founded by the dictator Sulla about 82 B.C., occupied both banks of the Tavignano, which waters one of the finest plains in the world, where winter is unknown. The site of the town was well selected. The population was probably 20,000.

It was at Aleria that Theodore Neuhoff, a native of Altona, in Germany, landed to have himself proclaimed King of Corsica, March 1736. He died a pauper in London, and was buried in an obscure corner of St. Anne's churchyard, Soho. On a mural tablet against the exterior wall, west end, is the following epitaph written by Horace Walpole:--"Near this place is interred Theodore, King of Corsica, who died in this parish, Dec. 11, 1756, immediately after leaving the King's Bench prison, by the benefit of the Act of Insolvency. In consequence of which, he registered his kingdom of Corsica for the use of his creditors." His capital was Cervione. The lake de Diane is a great sheet of salt water with one narrow opening to the sea. It formed the harbour of Aleria, and was provided with quays, of which a vestige still remains. The lake contains an island 460 yards in circ.u.mference, composed of oyster sh.e.l.ls covered with luxurious vegetation. Fish, and a c.o.c.kle a species of Venerupis, inhabit the brackish water of the lake.

ALERIA TO CORTe.

Coach every other day; fare, 5 francs; time, 4 hours.

Thirty-one and a half m. N.W., by a picturesque road up the course of the Tavignano, pa.s.sing Cateraggio, 2 m., Rotani, 5 m., commencement of bridle path leading N. to Tallone, 7 m., Tox, 9 m., Campo, 11 m., and Mota, 12 m. Seven m. farther up the main road a ramification extends N. to Giuncaggio, 4 m., and to Pancheraccia, 5 m.

Up the main road, 21 m. from Aleria, and near the bridge across the Vecchio, a bridle path strikes off S. to Rospigliani, 5 m., and Vezzani, 6 m. A little higher a ramification extends 5 m. W. to Serraggio (p. 8). The road, after pa.s.sing several other ramifications with the Corte and Ajaccio road, arrives at Corte, p. 8.

Ten m. W. from Aleria are the cold saline sulphurous springs of Puzzich.e.l.lo, 190 ft., considered efficacious in the cure of syphilitic diseases, resembling in this property the water of Aulus in the Pyrenees. See Black's _South France_, West Half (Pyrenees).

[Headnote: PRUNETE.--CERVIONE.--ALESANI.]

miles from BONIFACIO miles to BASTIA

{79}{24} PRUNETE. _Inn:_ Gaetan. Junction with road to Ponte alla Leccia, 44 m.

N.W. (p. 9), leading through a region of chestnut trees and past many villages on the mountains, built chiefly on terraces. A coach runs from the station to Alesani called also Castagneto 1938 ft. 14 m. W.; ascending by Muchieto 808 ft. 3 m., Cervione 1073 ft. 4 m., pop.

1000; _Inns:_ France: Voyageurs: an untidy village, once the capital of King Theodore's realm. From Cervione the road describes a long detour to the bridge across the Chebbia, whence it ascends to Cotone 1008 ft 6 m., the Col d'Aja 1236 ft., and Ortale 1489 ft., 1 m.

from Alesani. Good red wine is made in the neighbourhood of Cervione. The dirty little village of Castagneto or Alesani is picturesquely situated on the side of a mountain overlooking a valley covered with chestnut trees. The diligence stops at an inn, where bread, eggs and coffee with goats' milk can be had and a comfortable bed. A char-a-banc from this inn to Piedicroce (Orezza) costs 10 frs., time 2 hours, 11 miles. For Orezza, see p. 34.

Pa.s.sengers from Prunete to Piedicroce or Stazzona should not stop at Cervione but continue the diligence route to Castagneto, whence start next morning. The drive between Castagneto and Piedicroce, 11 miles, is by far the most beautiful part of the road. The highest part of the Col d'Arcarotta is a narrow ridge between the valleys of Orezza and Ortia, commanding a charming view. See also p. 35.

{87}{24} PADULELLA. Four and a quarter miles west by a good road is San Nicolao, pop. 600.

[Headnote: STAZZONA.]

{84}{18} FOLELLI-Orezza station. Junction with road to Piedicroce 14 m. S.W.; by the course of the Fium'alto, the Chestnut country, and the village of Stazzona, 13 m. from Folelli, m. from and 355 ft.

under Piedicroce, and 1 m. from and 200 ft. above the spring of Orezza. The coach from the station stops at Stazzona, pop. 250.

_Hotels_: *Paix, Casino. Very fine oleanders in the gardens. On the opposite side of the valley of the Fium'alto is Granajola, with the establishment Manfredi, 2016 ft. above the sea and 220 feet above the spring. The hotel Manfredi has the most select society, is the largest house, and its road from the spring is the least dusty; but as no public coach goes there it is necessary to hire a private conveyance either at Stazzona or Piedicroce, 3 or 4 miles. The charge in all the hotels is 7 frs. per day, not including coffee or tea in the morning. The hotels of Stazzona and the hotel Manfredi are the most convenient for the Spa drinkers; those of Piedicroce are too distant.

[Headnote: OREZZA.]

The Orezza spring is in the centre of a small terrace in the narrow valley of the Fium'alto, whose steep banks are covered with chestnut trees, and ascended by dusty winding roads. The water is a bicarbonate chalybeate, with an agreeable amount of free carbonic acid gas.

[Headnote: VESCOVATO.]

{89}{14} VESCOVATO STATION. Town 1 m. W., pop. 1500.

*H. de Progreso in the large "Place" where all the coaches stop, near a fountain of pure gus.h.i.+ng water, cold even in summer. The rather untidy town of Vescovato is almost hidden in the corner of a valley, 550 ft. above the sea, by woods of vigorous olive and chestnut trees. From it a coach starts daily to Porta, 15 m. W., by a bad, dusty, jolting road, pa.s.sing through Venzolasca, pop. 1300, on the top of a hill, 732 ft., 1 m. from Vescovato. Three m.

farther a road, left, 1 m., leads to Porri, 1718 ft., pop. 300.

7 m. from Vescovato is the Col S. Agostino, and then follow, 8 m., Silvareccio, 2198 ft., pop. 550; 8 m., Piano, 2230 ft., pop. 170; Casabianca, 4 m. farther, 2133 ft.; and then Porta, pop. 630; _Inn:_ H. Franceschi, in the "Place," opposite the church, where the coach stops. In July and August the coach goes on to Piedicroce.

{91}{12} PONT DU GOLO. A little more than 3 miles from the bridge, at the mouth of the river, stood the town of Mariana, founded by Marius (B. 155, D.

86 B.C.), where Seneca most probably spent his exile, and of which there remain only a few insignificant fragments on the beach. In the vicinity are the ruins of a chapel, and about a mile farther those of the church, called La Canonica, with 2 aisles and a nave 100 feet long and 40 wide, ornamented with rows of pillars of the Doric order. Both church and chapel are in the Pisan style.

At Casamozza Station, 12 m. S. from Bastia, the Aleria railway joins the one from Corte.

{103} BASTIA. See p. 10.

Ponte alla Leccia to Piedicroce.

Eighteen miles S.E. by "Courrier" daily. Fare 3 frs. Time 5 hours, by a mountain road, making immense circuits round by the heads of ravines among rich pastures and great chestnut and beech trees.

Nine miles from the Ponte is Morosaglia, pop. 1060, with an inn, where the coach stops. A conglomeration of hamlets on the slopes of a mountain, one of which, Stretta, was the birthplace of Pascal Paoli. 2 m. farther is the summit of the Col de Prato with an inn, 3215 ft., 2850 ft. below, or 3 hours from the top of San Pietro, commanding a magnificent view of the Castagniccia or the Chestnut country, and the islands of Monte Christo, Pianosa, and Elba, floating in the haze between sky and water. See map on fly-leaf.

[Headnote: CASTAGNICCIA.]

The Castagniccia may be said to lie between the Golo and the Tavignano, bounded on the W. by the railway. The chestnut trees are not so famous for their size as for the qualify of their fruit.

The coach having pa.s.sed the hamlet of Campana arrives at

[Headnote: PIEDICROCE.]

Piedicroce, pop. 600, several inns, 2104 ft., 18 m. from Ponte alla Leccia, and 650 ft. above the spring of Orezza by a winding, dusty, bad wheel road, pa.s.sing Stazzona 1978 ft. above the sea.

Although Piedicroce is not a suitable place for those who come to drink the Orezza water, it is an excellent centre for excursions, the favourite one being to the top of Monte S. Pietro 5795 ft. in 3 hours, by the cabins of Tajalto 4600 ft., and a beech forest. Mule to nearly the top. Guide and mule, 5 frs. See also above.

Coach in July and August to the Vescovato station by Porta, p. 34.

Piedicroce to Prunete Station, 26 m. S.E.

The continuation of the road from Ponte alla Leccia.

From Piedicroce the road pa.s.ses by Pied'Orezza, 2106 ft., 1 m. from Piedicroce, Piedipartino, 2124 ft., 2 m.; Carcheto, 2172 ft., 3m.; Brustico, 2293 ft. 4 m.; the Col d'Arcarotta, 2698 ft., 5 m. from Piedicroce, between the richly wooded valleys of the Fium'alto and the Alesani, and commanding a very fine view of both. From this the road gradually descends to Prunete, the most beautiful part being from this Col to Castagneto called also Alesani, where there is an inn and whence a coach starts daily to Prunete Railway Station.

[Headnote: CASTAGNETO.]

Seven miles from Piedicroce and 2 from the Col is Ortia, 2638 ft., pop. 400, hidden among chesnut trees; Felce, 2570 ft., 8 m., pop. 400; Pied Alesani 11 m.; Querceto, 2041 ft., and Castagneto or Alesani, 1938 ft., 12 m. from Piedicroce and 14 from Prunete Railway Station, the princ.i.p.al village in this valley.

A little below Castagneto, at the commencement of this chestnut wooded valley is Ortale, 1489 ft., pop. 280. The coach then having pa.s.sed Cotone 1008 ft., 19 m., pop. 800, and having crossed the little bridge over the stream Chebbia arrives at Cervione, _Inn_, France: 1073 ft., 21 m. from Piedicroce, and 4 from Prunete. From Cervione another coach descends to Prunete Railway Station by Muchieto 820 ft. Prunete consists of a few houses near the beach, resorted to by bathers in summer, situated on the highway between Bastia and Bonifacio. See also p. 33.