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Bastia is primarily a port city so the sea has a predominant place in the spatial organization of the city. Nowadays Bastia has three different ports. The Old Port: located in a narrow cove that offers good protection against the Mediterranean weather.
Bastia is a modern port city, and since 1976 it has been the capital of the département of Haute-Corse. Bastia manufactures cigarettes, cigars, and preserves, and its exports include the celebrated wines of Cape Corse.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sightseeing: Bastia is a port city with a population with of over 43,000 inhabitantson o the north-eastern coast of the island of Corsica. The old town (Terra Vecchia) is built in and around the central part of the harbor and is a network of alleys connected by dark, vaulted passages.
- Stroll through the citadel district. Why visit the citadel district? The citadel district is a must-see in Bastia! This is where you’ll find the fortifications built by the Genoese in the 14th century.
- Visit Sainte-Marie Cathedral. Why visit Sainte-Marie Cathedral? Located in the heart of the citadel district, Sainte-Marie Cathedral dates back to the 17th century.
- Visit the Palace of the Governors. Why visit the Palais des Gouverneurs? You won’t want to miss the Palais des Gouverneurs! We were stunned by its facade, which unfurls masterfully across the Place du Donjon.
- Stroll through the Romieu garden. Why stroll through the Romieu garden? The Romieu garden was created in the 19th century, making it Bastia’s first public garden.
- Old Port
- Church of Sainte-Marie
- Bastia Citadel
- Le Palais Des Gouverneurs
- Musée de Bastia
- Chapelle Sainte-Croix
- Place Saint-Nicolas
- Place Du Marché
- Corse Miniature animée
- Église de Monserrato
Saunter along the quays of the U-shaped harbour, where the houses are densely clustered on the city’s slopes. These buildings are painted pale shades of ochre, and pushing above all of them are the twin cupolas of the baroque Church of St. John the Baptist. At the foot of almost every building is a restaurant or cafe where you can take a seat outsi...
This marvellous 17th-century baroque church was in fact Bastia’s cathedral for centuries until the diocese of Mariana was dissolved and Bastia came under the diocese of Ajaccio. The current architecture is from a rebuild between 1604 and 1625, and is a shining example of the Genoese baroque style, as you’ll notice before entering when you see the p...
Get some comfy shoes on to explore the citadel high on the cliff-tops to the south of the old harbour. This walled district was known as the Bastiglia and is where Bastia’s name comes from. It was constructed from 1380 under the behest of the Genoese governor Leonello Lomelli. The Genoese controlled the citadel from this date, right the way up to 1...
Those Genoese governors controlled all of Corsica from this palace, built at the same time as the rest of the citadel. In the earliest days its main purpose was defensive, as a watchtower standing over the entrance to the port. A few highly innovative features would make it difficult to conquer by siege, including two massive underground water rese...
The provincial museum was revamped at the start of this decade and is now in 17 rooms. Detailed information boards will give you a complete summary of the birth and growth of Bastia, its role as a seat of power, the culture that flourished here and the people who ruled the Governor’s Palace. There’s a large scale model of the city, furniture, paint...
Also in the citadel is a baroque oratory with an almost overwhelming rococo interior, bursting with gold, statues, carved marble and rich murals. With all the fretwork, gilding and cherubs you might wonder if you’ve stepped into a salon belonging to Louis XV. One fascinating detail is in the Chapelle du Christ Noir des Miracles: In the niche above ...
At 300 metres by 70, Bastia’s main square is one of the largest in France, and almost twice the size of Venice’s Piazza San Marco. The seafront location is special, and the square is bounded to the west by 19th-century townhouses and with open views of the commercial port to the east. Plane trees and palms line the square, and when the sun’s beatin...
Another photogenic plaza, Place du Marché is surrounded by elegantly decaying apartment buildings with painted shutters, and has a border of planes affording shade for outdoor restaurant tables. On weekends the square is unrecognisable, as the region’s farmers, artisans and florists come to town to sell their wares. You’ll get a feel for Corsican c...
In the Citadel’s old gunpowder magazine is a peculiar attraction that will bring a smile to both the young and young at heart. Over the course of more than three decades the model-maker René Mattei has lovingly crafted a miniature 19th-century Corsican village from ten tons of material. The village is inhabited by a large cast of animated figurines...
Tucked in the countryside just outside Bastia and walkable in around 20 minutes, this baroque church deserves the effort because it contains something that you’ll only find in a few Christian buildings in Europe. There’s a Scala Santa, a stairway that religious penitents have to climb up on hands and knees to be absolved of their sins. Bastia was g...
Behind its 15th-century Genoese breakwater, Bastia ‘s old port has retained all the authenticity of its Mediterranean charm. Along the quays, houses with colourful facades polished by the sea breeze huddle together, overlooking the terraces of restaurants and cafés.
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Bastia is a commercial port town (the most important on Corsica) found to the north-east of the island. It is in an impressive location with the hills and Cap Corse behind the town. The town is now officially classified as a 'Town of Art and History' in France.
