"Bastia, capital of Haute Corse" Top 5 Page for this destination Bastia by intl_dan

Take some time to get to know Bastia. Most people use it as a port of entry/exist, but it is a kind of place that the more you get to know the more it will reveal its charms.

Bastia is the lively and lovely cultural and financial centre of the Island. It was the capital of the Genoese administration of Corsica until the mid 18th century. It has perserved the related architecture and atmosphere, and has a rugged, unrifined charm. I find it very Corsican in spirit, while Ajaccio has a more middle-class, refined, continental feel to it.

Bastia - A view of the Citadel from St. Joseph

The origins of Bastia are probably quite ancient. It was a Roman town that towards the 8th century was reduced (like all Roman towns in Corsica) to a small fishing village of Porto Cardo.

Bastia really began its contemporary history in bloodshed, following the first Corsican revolution (1372) against Genoa, the then capital, Biguglia, was razed and the governor Leonello Lomellino, built a "Bastiglia" (which over the years became Bastia), on a rock, overlooking Porto Cardo. A decade later Givanni Bonaparte built a citadel, that is confusingly (for us, as it contains the oldest buildings in town) called Terra Nova as it was newer than Porto Cardo.

Bastia - A street in Terra Vecchia

Eventually the town grew wealthy, expanded and built up, including St. Joseph, and over Porto Cardo (now known also as the Vieux Port) the neighbourhood of Terra Vecchia (old land), an allusion to the fact that this was Porto Cardo (of which nothing remains). The 17th century brought great wealth to Bastia due to its status as a trading post, Baroque churches, oratories, a literary Academia (Accademia dei Vagabondi), and an opera (!) poped up. But this was the play ground of the rich Genoese, Corsicans were not allowed to join the party. In the 1730 Corsican revolution, Terra Vecchia, which was unprotected by a wall, was sacked, and its Genoese population killed. Terra Nova, remaind in Genoese hands. In 1759 Pascal Paoli decalred Corte the capital of the secular republic of Corsica, and abolished the administrative centre in Bastia.

When the French invaded and occupied Corsica they moved the administration back to Bastia. During the revolution Bastia became the capital of the district of Upper Corsica. Then came briefly the British who made Bastia the capital of the "Anglo-Corsican Kingdom", who were kicked out by Napoleon. Besides having a "modest" statute of himself as a Roman Emperor in the centre of Bastia (Place St. Nicolas) he kindly removed the capital status altogether from the city in favour of its forever rival, Ajaccio. Bastia regained its status as a captial of Haute Corse only in 1975.

• Pros:Lively, pretty, wonderful port, interesting architecture, good restaurants, cultural events, good for shopping
• Cons:Can be very congested in summer! Disappointing Cafes/Bars compared with Ajaccio
• In a nutshell:Charming and Rugged!