Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to France. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the Italian island of Sardinia.

The island has a mild climate and some of the most diverse landscapes in Europe which attracts more than three million visitors each year. Despite these numbers, tourism has not ruined this beautiful island, and there are few resorts surrounding the white beaches.

The small town of Corte is situated on the side of a wedge-shaped crag against a stunning backdrop of granite mountains – this is the historic capital of the island, and where the accommodation we have on offer can be found.

Food

From the mountains to the plains and sea, many ingredients play a role. Game such as wild boar is popular. There also is seafood and river fish such as trout. Delicacies such as ficatellu, coppa, ham, lonzu are made from Corsican pork. Cheeses like brocciu, casgiu merzu, casgiu veghju are made from goat or sheep milk. Chestnuts are the main ingredient in the making of polenta (a type of flour).

Transport

Visitors to the island can arrive either by air or by sea. Flights from most major European cities land at Bastia in the north, or Ajaccio in the south. Ferries from Marseille and Nice dock in Calvi, Bastia and Ajaccio.

Corsica has 232km of metre gauge railway. The main line runs between Bastia and Ajaccio and there is a branch line from Ponte-Leccia to Calvi. The railroad retains the air of a friendly local railroad and is an excellent way to get around the island, for both the inhabitants and tourists.

The origin of the name Corsica is subject to much debate and remains a mystery. To the Ancient Greeks it was known as Kalliste, Corsis, Cyrnos, Cernealis, or Cirné. The latter Greek names are based on the Phoenician word for 'peninsula'.

Corsica has been occupied continuously since the Mesolithic era. It acquired an indigenous population that was influential in the Mediterranean during its long prehistory.

In 1729 the Corsican Revolution for independence began. After 26 years of struggle against the Republic of Genoa, the independent Corsican Republic was formed in 1755 under the leadership of Pasquale Paoli, and remained sovereign until 1769 when it was conquered by France. The first Corsican Constitution was written in Italian (the language of culture in Corsica until the end of the 19th century) by Paoli. He proclaimed that Italian was the official language of Corsica.

After the collapse of France to the German Wehrmacht in 1940, Corsica came under the rule of the Vichy French regime, which was collaborating with the Nazis. In November 1942 the island was occupied by Italian and German forces because of the Anglo-American Landings in North Africa. Following the Italian armistice in September 1943, Italian and Free French Forces pushed the Germans out of the island, making of Corsica the first French Department to be freed. Subsequently, the US military established there 17 airfields, nicknamed "USS Corsica", which served as bases for American tactical bomber groups attacking targets in German-occupied Italy.