Corsica - Sartène

The island of Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France. It was colonized the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. After the Roman empire collapsed, Corsica got
invaded by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. For a short while the island belonged to the Byzantine Empire, then the Franks granted the island to the Pope, in the early 11th century Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion. The island came, just like neighbouring Sardinia, under the influence of the Republic of Pisa, later it belonged to Genua for centuries. In 1729 the Corsican fight for independence from Genoa began. After 26 years of struggle the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed in 1755, but in 1769, when the island was conquered by France.

Sartène, seen in the mist from the local cemetry, was built it on a rocky promontory by the Genoese to protect the inhabitants from invading pirates. Mid of the 16th century ramparts were erected, but despite the "Victory of Lepanto" (1571), barbarian raids continued. So a network of coastal towers responsible for alerting people got planned. The worst attack was undertaken in 1583 by pirates from Algiers after which 400 people were taken into slavery. These attacks continued till the 18th century. Corsica is historically known for "vendettas". One of these blood feuds lasted over decades in and around Sartène between two large families in the first half of the 19th century.