The island of Corsica is France's 'little bit of Italy', it
being close to that neighbouring country and therefore long
influenced by the language, architecture and cuisine of the Italian
mainland. The local language, for example, is Tuscan-inspired.
Corsica has been under French rule for only 200 years after being
sold by Genoa to Paris in 1768. Before that happened, this island
that rises majestically out of the Mediterranean, belonged by turns
to the Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Moors and Lombards,
each conquering nation leaving their mark and influence to be added
to the Corsican melting pot. Corsicans today tolerate French rule
unwillingly, but radicals are tempered by the realisation that the
island economy is heavily subsidised and islanders enjoy generous
tax concessions.
Today the invaders of this island, which gave birth to Napoleon
and Columbus, are thousands of holidaymakers who flock particularly
to the east coast with its long sandy beaches and pretty fishing
villages. The west coast has awe-inspiring scenery with cliffs and
rocky inlets, while the mountainous interior remains largely wild,
in between cultivated groves of olives, pine plantations and cork
forests.
