Photo : Pascal Poggi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Bonifacio
Bonifacio occupies the southern end of Corsica, on a plateau of white limestone, a rare rock on an island mostly of granite, overlooking the sea. The Strait of Bonifacio separates it from Sardinia. The town is said to have been refounded between 828 and 833 by Boniface II of Tuscany, whose name it bears, and was previously called Calcosalto. Its documented history begins in 1195, when Genoa took definitive control of it.
The citadel occupies a cape 1,600 metres long and about 100 metres wide. A bastion was built there in 1488 to defend it, and the Staircase of the King of Aragon is cut into the cliff. In 1553, the town underwent a siege of about two weeks led by the Turkish forces of Dragut, and capitulated after negotiations.
The Lavezzi islands are part of the commune's territory. Bonifacio had 3,344 inhabitants in 2023. Its harbour is a departure point for boat trips along the cliffs. The upper town and its lanes are visited on foot, and it is best to avoid the hottest hours in summer.
