The micro-region which surrounds the gulf of Porto forms the canton "Les Deux-Sevi" (the two "Sevi"). This canton was established in 1973 from the merging of the canton of Evisa and the canton of Piana which were respectively called Sevindentro and Sevinfuori until 1828.
A mountainous relief isolates this territory from the other areas of Corsica. The lack of coastal plain and the slope of the terrain are unfavourable for farming. For a long time, the population lived from extensive livestock farming, primarily of goats, moving between the mountains and the coast. Today, this activity has become marginal, and small-scale production of cattle and mainly of pigs has been developed.
A herd of goats crossing Porto (date unknown) - Photo taken from
the book "Guide de la Corse mystérieuse" - Tchou, publisher, 1966
The old economy also rested on olive growing, below 500 m in altitude, and on chestnut growing, up to 1000 m in altitude; these growings have developed from the end of the 17th century onwards. The chestnut allowed to meet a large number of needs: the fruits, which were a staple of the diet, were dried then grinded into flour used in many culinary preparations, such as for example "polenda" ; as for wood, it was used for making furniture and lumber or for heating.
These activities enable us today to taste excellent products: sheep or goat milk cheeses, and in particular the "
brocciu
", pork products (coppa, lonzu, figatellu, etc.) or
chestnut flour
.
Map published in 1824 according to surveys carried out from 1771 to 1790 - Extract from the site “From the villages of Cassini to the municipalities of today": http://cassini.ehess.fr/cassini/fr/html/
Goodbye Philippine - Jacques Rozier - 1963
This film is regarded as one of the most characteristic of Jacques Rozier, a film director of the French Nouvelle Vague. It takes place in Corsica in its second part. Several scenes are set in the gulf of Porto (as shown in the poster of the film on the right: you can see the tower of Porto in the background). The scenes occur in Porto, on the beach of Boussaglia and in Girolata.
To enlarge the map, click on the thumbnail on the left
Books
.
There are a lot of publications concerning Corsica. Here are some of them, which are interesting for various reasons. They are available for our guests in our apartment “Pianu Supranu” (unfortunately, only in French).
Film
Recettes corses de nos grands mères (Corsican recipes of our grandmothers) -
Jean-Claude and Danièle Rogliano - Editions CPE, 2007
The recipes are accompanied by information on the life in Corsica and the traditions which existed several decades ago; this information allows to situate the Corsican cuisine in its social context. Reproductions of old postcards illustrate the book.
Astérix en Corse (Asterix in Corsica) - R. Goscinny and A. Uderzo - Dargaud, 1973
In an exceptional way, this volume of the Asterix adventures is preceded by a preamble. It is undoubtedly helpful to read this preamble for understanding the Corsicans…
To enlarge the map, click on
the thumbnail map on the right
Porto Tourism information Center:
1 - Porto
4 - Some addresses
3 - The mountains : Evisa, Marignana, Cristinacce
6 - Some references
The tower of Porto, built on a rock at the mouth of the river Porto, is part of a network of watchtowers erected by the Genoese for the protection of the populations against the incursions of Turkish pirates. In the gulf of Porto, the tower of Porto and the small fort of Girolata were built shortly after 1550, then three others towers (Turghiu, Cargalu, Elbu) were constructed around 1610.
Indeed, from the beginning of the 16th century, the Turkish acts of piracy multiplied in the coastal zone but also further inland. The Genoese tried to fight against piracy. In 1540, the pirate Dragut, who had devastated the region, was captured in the gulf of Girolata by Giannettino Doria, the nephew of the Genoese admiral Andrea Doria, after a pursuit from Messine. But this fight was not effective: for example, in 1550, the village of Evisa is plundered and half of the population is captured and taken along like slaves. The insecurity which reigns in that time led to the abandonment of the grounds near the coast.
It is only from the end of the 17th century onwards that the littoral is again settled. Thus Piana is rebuilt starting from 1690. Cargese is created in 1773 to accommodate a community of maniotes seeking to escape the Ottoman domination. At the end of the 18th century also, new settled places appear: Serriera, Partinello and Osani; they will become municipalities in 1864, starting from territories which belonged to Ota and Evisa.
5 - For more information
The nature reserve of Scandola, created in 1975, is located in the peninsula of Scandola. It is an impressive massif with distorted shapes. This relief is the result of erosion of ancient geological formations which were volcanically formed (rhyolite, basaltic columns).
The nature reserve allowed the recovery of the population of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), which had almost died out forty years ago.
Nature reserve is both terrestrial and maritime and it allows as well the protection of the sea life, such as the red coral or the Posidonia meadows.
The gulf of Girolata is located northwest of the gulf of Porto in which it forms an indentation. A characteristic is that no road leads to this gulf. Thus, the hamlet of Girolata, which depends on the municipality of Osani, can only be accessed by sea or on foot by a mule track.
Near the hamlet, a small fort was built in the middle of the 16th century to protect a cove which is one of the rare shelters for the boats between the harbours of Ajaccio and Calvi.
The Capu Rossu
The Calanche of Piana are a granite massif located near the village of Piana, on the road to Porto. The erosion of the rock shaped a very strange landscape which inspired many descriptions, in particular those of Guy de Maupassant. An example is given on the right.
« Ils partirent au soleil levant et bientôt ils s'arrêtèrent en face d'une forêt, d'une vraie forêt de granit pourpré. C'étaient des pics, des colonnes, des clochetons, des figures surprenantes modelées par le temps, le vent rongeur et la brume de mer.
.
Hauts jusqu'à trois cents mètres, minces, ronds, tortus, crochus, difformes, imprévus, fantastiques, ces surprenants rochers semblaient des arbres, des plantes, des bêtes, des monuments, des hommes, des moines en robe, des diables cornus, des oiseaux démesurés, tout un peuple monstrueux, une ménagerie de cauchemar pétrifiée par le vouloir de quelque Dieu extravagant. »
.
They set off again at daybreak, and presently stopped before a forest, a veritable forest of purple granite. There were peaks, pillars, bell-towers, wondrous forms molded by age, the ravaging wind and the sea mist.
.
As much as three hundred metres in height, slender, round, twisted, hooked, deformed, unexpected and fantastic, these amazing rocks looked like trees, plants, animals, monuments, men, monks in their garb, horned devils, gigantic birds, a whole population of monsters, a menagerie of nightmares petrified by the will of some eccentric divinity.
.
Excerpt from
"Une Vie; or, The History of a Heart",
a novel by Guy De Maupassant
The Capu Rossu is a red granite massif located at the southwestern end of the gulf of Porto.
At the top of the Capu Rossu, the tower of Turghiu dominates the sea from 330 m above the sea level.
The nature reserve of Scandola
The Gulf of Girolata
2 - The gulf of Porto
Canton Les Deux-Sevi - Corse-du-Sud - Inventaire général - Editeur Alain Piazzola, 1999
This work, written by Mauricette Mattioli, presents the canton "Les Deux-Sevi" in a detailed way: its history, the villages and the human activities, the architecture (religious, military and vernacular), etc.
This book is used as a reference for some elements presented above.
Here are some addresses, given without any criterion of ranking. They are simply places where we had a good time, and we hope that the same will be true for you…
- Restaurant-Bar-Ice Cream “La Cigale”, in Porto (Tel. + 33 4 95 26 10 13)
- Restaurant “La mer”, in Porto (Marine) (Tel. + 33 4 95 26 11 27)
- Restaurant “Les Roches Rouges”, in Piana: https://www.lesrochesrouges.com/
- Restaurant “Aïtone”, in Evisa: https://www.hotel-aitone.com/
- Restaurant-Gîte “Ustaria di a rota”, in Marignana: https://www.ustaria-di-a-rota.fr/
For a boat excursion in the gulf of Porto, to Girolata and Scandola:
- Porto Linea, in Porto (Marine): https://www.portolinea.com/
This company has small enough boats to pass easily between the rocks and to enter the caves.
Whereas the villages located close to the coast (Ota, Piana, Serriera, Partinello and Osani) have a Mediterranean climate, the villages which are higher in the valley (Evisa, Marignana and Cristinacce) have a harsher climate of mountain. Here, you will find the sweet chestnut, and higher yet, as in the forest of Aïtone, you will find the pine Laricio.
Many hiking trails, such as Mare or monti or GR20, will allow you to enjoy the landscapes and nature.
The "Calanche" of Piana
Porto is located in the municipality of Ota (Southern Corsica). The village, which had been formed at the foot of the tower, is developed along the north side of the Porto river.
It is today a small seaside resort, very visited in summer but which remains pleasant, with a beach in a gorgeous setting.
Porto and its surroundings
The gulf of Porto is home to several remarkable sites : the "Calanche" of Piana, the nature reserve of Scandola, the gulf of Girolata.
2023
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