Saint-Florent, Haute-Corse
Encyclopedia
Saint-Florent is a commune
in Haute-Corse
department of France
on the island of Corsica
. It is a fishing port located on the gulf of the same name.
Today, it is a popular summer vacation spot for many tourists because of its proximity to the famous Patrimonio
vineyards and one of the most beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean
coast, Saleccia.
in the 16th century as a base to carry out repressive operations against the Corsican patriots in the surrounding villages. France later used it to disembark hordes of mercenaries
and colonists during August 1764 in order to subject the independent Corsican people. After the defeat at Ponte Novu Bridge, the army of Pasquale Paoli
, sometimes called "the father of Corsica", helped by the fleet of Horatio Nelson, reconquered Saint-Florent
in 1794 during the brief Anglo-Corsican rule.
- mild winters with temperatures rarely dropping below zero give way to long, warm, dry summers with temperatures peaking at around 35°C in July and August.
Saint-Florent Cathedral, or the cathedral of the Nebbio, now the church of Santa Maria Assunta.
Near the village are the Genoese tower
s Torra di Mortella
and Torra di Fornali
.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in Haute-Corse
Haute-Corse
Haute-Corse is a French department. It constitutes the northern part of the island of Corsica.- History :The department was formed on 15 September 1975, when the department of Corse was divided into Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud...
department of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on the island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. It is a fishing port located on the gulf of the same name.
Today, it is a popular summer vacation spot for many tourists because of its proximity to the famous Patrimonio
Patrimonio
Patrimonio is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Geography:Located 12 km from Bastia and 4 km from the micro-region of Saint-Florent, this wine-growing commune is the gateway to the Cap Corse .-History:The village of Patrimonio is well known for...
vineyards and one of the most beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast, Saleccia.
History
Saint-Florent was created by the GenoeseGenoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
in the 16th century as a base to carry out repressive operations against the Corsican patriots in the surrounding villages. France later used it to disembark hordes of mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
and colonists during August 1764 in order to subject the independent Corsican people. After the defeat at Ponte Novu Bridge, the army of Pasquale Paoli
Pasquale Paoli
Filippo Antonio Pasquale di Paoli , was a Corsican patriot and leader, the president of the Executive Council of the General Diet of the People of Corsica...
, sometimes called "the father of Corsica", helped by the fleet of Horatio Nelson, reconquered Saint-Florent
Siege of Saint-Florent
The Siege of Saint-Florent took place in February 1794 during the French Revolutionary War when a British force joined with Corsican partisans to capture the French garrison town of Saint-Florent, Corsica....
in 1794 during the brief Anglo-Corsican rule.
Population
Climate
Saint-Florent has a typically Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
- mild winters with temperatures rarely dropping below zero give way to long, warm, dry summers with temperatures peaking at around 35°C in July and August.
Sights
The monuments of Saint-Florent are the Genoese citadel constructed in 1440 at the same time as the city, and the RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
Saint-Florent Cathedral, or the cathedral of the Nebbio, now the church of Santa Maria Assunta.
Near the village are the Genoese tower
Genoese tower
The Genoese towers are vestiges of the Genoese heritage after their occupation of Corsica.The Corsican littoral is constellated with these towers , which are now one of the symbols of the island. Although all of them don’t have a Genoese origin — some of them are Florentine — they are generally...
s Torra di Mortella
Torra di Mortella
The Torra di Mortella is a Genoese tower in Corsica, located on Mortella Point in the commune of Saint-Florent, Haute-Corse. It was a progenitor of the numerous Martello towers the British built in the 19th Century throughout their empire....
and Torra di Fornali
Torra di Fornali
The Torra di Fornali is a Genoese tower in Corsica, located in the commune of Saint-Florent.It is one of the Official Historical Monuments of France. It was fought over during the Siege of Saint-Florent in 1794.-Notes and references:...
.
