When we originally planned our Corsican itinerary, we'd aimed to spend a few nights in Corte.

It was briefly the capital of the independent Corsican Republic set up by Pascal Paoli in 1755. In fact, it was in Corte, at an assembly in 1731, attended by delegates from all the villages, that national independence was first declared, and a constitution adopted. But that didn't last long; the fight continued; and young Paoli followed his father into exile. Then, in 1754, he was invited to return to Corsica. This time, what was set up lasted a little longer. Paoli had enough time to set up a university in Corte, but he never successfully dislodged the Genoese from their fortress towns, and the French took over in 1769.

So that all sounded interesting. We couldn't find accommodation, though, so we ended up divvying up the Corte nights between Calvi and Bastia. Which we by no means regret. But on that spectacular trip from Ajaccio to Calvi, we'd seen Corte's dramatic mountain situation, and decided that it had to merit at least a day trip.

It was a bit crazy really. As we'd already experienced on our train journey from Calvi to Bastia, engineering work on the line between Ponte Leccia and Bastia means you have to board a substitute bus to cover some of the distance. Train, bus, train -- a two-hour trip. And the same again coming back. All for a three-hour trot round the town...

But, honestly, it was worth it. It was enjoyable even doing the journey again. You can't exactly get bored with such scenery:




And when you arrive, you get this:


Dorothy Carrington, whose Granite Island I've found a useful companion to our stay in Corsica, was not impressed with Corte. She finds the town "ugly", and dubs it "the Corsican Ankara, indigenous and dour"... Well, we liked Ankara, and we liked Corte...

First, you wend your way up the hill to the citadel:






There was first a fortification in Corte in the 1400s, but the citadel itself (the only one in Corsica built inland) dates back to the 1700s. It changed hands several times before Paoli came to power. And it's spectacular:





There's a very good museum up there too (a bargain, at EUR 3 each for old people). Your ticket enables you to look round the old fortifications as well as visting the exhibitions:








Below are some of the artefacts displayed inside:





Particularly significant, according to the info board, are two pieces: "The museum of Corsica, in 2023 and 2024, welcomed two major works of Corsican history. Each of them carries a symbol which constitutes the cultural identity of Corsica beyond the ages. The flag with the Moor's head... brings back the question of the origin of this emblem... Where does it come from? Since when has this flag, a proclaimed standard of revolt and freedom, been linked to Corsica? The Madonna of Brandu, an altarpiece panel dated 1500, of Italian origin, bears a double symbol. A religious symbol on the one hand, since the figure of the Virgin has long been linked to the Corsicans who made her their holy patroness. And a cultural symbol on the other hand, because after more than 180 years of absence, the mobilization of Corsicans and island elected officials allowed the return to Corsica of this Renaissance masterpiece in a desire to re-appropriate and disseminate their heritage."




Slight digression: It's obviously hard for short-term visitors like us to gauge the strength of Corsican "nationalism". Earlier this year, the island "inched closer to autonomy". But there's still a long road ahead.

And both here in Corte and in Bastia, there's a lot of stuff on walls:




Anyway, back to Corte history. Napoleon's parents, Carlo and Letizia, lived in the town for a while, and their eldest son, Joseph, was born here. But that's not all.



And it is within "the glorious walls" of Gaffori's house -- according to Antoine-Claude Valery -- that Napoleon Bonaparte was conceived... (Too much information, says the Other Tern.) Valery adds, portentously: "The stigmata of war, the ravages of which still stamp the facade, fit well with the first cradle of the man raised and felled by war." First cradle is a bit much (Napoleon was born in Ajaccio, remember). But Carrington aptly observes: "Letizia was already six months pregnant with Napoleon when the Corsican patriots were defeated by the French. Retreating from the advancing army, Carlo and Letizia had to ride their mules over the savage heights of the central mountains to reach Ajaccio. If prenatal influences count for anything, this odyssey would seem to explain much in Napoleon's character."

Valery, by the way, is also less than bowled over by Corte. It provides for a majestic entrance, he says, but then its interior doesn't live up to that promise. And he complains: "It seems invaded by pigs, black troops of them wandering about the city..."

Well, we encountered no pigs. Just a variety of Christmas animals:



By now, time was up, and we needed to be heading back to Corte station. A picturesque descent:





Sadly, this was our last ride on the Corsican trains, this time at least. They have enhanced our stay enormously, and I'm not looking forward to the spate of buses to come.