Limestone cliffs in Bonifacio. The harbor lies behind the cliffs on which the old town is visible, under the mountains seen in the background.
(
Bunifaziu in
Corsican) is a
commune at the southern tip of the island of
Corsica, in the
Corse-du-Sud department of
France. Its inhabitants are called
Bonifaciens, feminine
Bonifaciennes. The commune in this case is identical to the canton and is the largest commune of Corsica.
Guns in the fortress of Bonifacio.
Geography
Bonifacio is located directly on the
Mediterranean Sea, separated from
Sardinia by the
Strait of Bonifacio. It is a city placed on the best and only major harbor of the southern coast and also is a commune covering a somewhat larger region including the offshore
Isles Lavezzi, giving it the distinction of being the southernmost commune in
Metropolitan France. The commune is bordered on the northwest by the canton of
Figari and has a short border on the northeast with the canton of
Porto-Vecchio. The combined border runs approximately from the Golfe de Ventilegne on the west to the mouth of the Golfu di Sant'Amanza on the east. The coastline circumscribed by the two points is about . Highway N198 runs north along the east coast and N196 along the west.
The islands are part of the French portion, , of the international Bouches de Bonifacio ("Strait of Bonifacio") marine park, a nature reserve, signed into legal existence by France and Italy in 1993 for the protection of the strait against passage of ships bearing dangerous chemicals, and implemented in France by a ministerial decree of 1999 detailing the land to be included in the réserve naturelle de Bouches de Bonifacio for the preservation of wild birds, other fauna and flora, fish and nature in general.
The southern coast in the vicinity of Bonifacio is an outcrop of chalk-white limetone, precipitous and sculpted into unusual shapes by the ocean. Slightly further inland the limestone adjoins the granite of which the two islands, Sardinia and Corsica, are formed. The port of Bonifacio is placed on the Bay of Bonifacio, a drowned ravine of a fjord-like appearance separated from the ocean by a finger-like promontory long and wide. In prehistoric post-glacial times when sea levels were low and the islands were connected, the ravine was part of a valley leading to upland Corsica. The maximum draught supported by the harbor is , more than ample for ancient ships and modern small vessels.
The city of Bonifacio is split into two sections. The
vieille ville (old town), or
la Haute Ville (the Upper city), on the site of a citadel, is located on the promontory overlooking the
Mediterranean Sea. The citadel was built in the 9th century with the foundation of the city. The Citadel has been reconstructed and renovated many times since its constructio and most recently was an administrative center for the
French Foreign Legion. Today it is more of a museum. Historically most of the inhabitants have resided in the
Haute ville under the immediate protection of the citadel. The harbor facilities and residential areas below,
la marine, line the narrow shelf of the inlet and extend for some distance up the valley, giving the settlement a linear appearance and creating a third residential section limited by St. Julien on the east.
The city, the chalky cliffs and the "Escalier du Roi d'Aragon".
The city and its fortifications also extend for some distance along the cliff-tops, which are at about elevation. The cliffs have been undercut by the ocean so that the buildings, which have been placed on the very lip of the precipice, appear to overhang it. The appearance from the sea is of a white city gleaming in the sun and suspended over the rough waters below.
History
The citadel at Bonifacio.
The citadel, view from the harbor side.
Prehistoric period
Bonifacio has two prehistoric sites of some importance: the ancient cave shelter of Araguina-Sennola near the village of Capello on Route N96 just north of the city and a chambered tomb of Vasculacciu further north near
Figari. The first is the site of the notable Lady of Bonifacio, a female burial carbon-dated to about 6570 BC, which is either late
Mesolithic or
Early Neolithic, and the second belongs to the
Megalithic Culture and is dated to the
Middle Neolithic. The alignment of the two and the extensive use of chert from Monte Arci in
Sardinia shows that the Bay of Bonifacio was a route to inland Corsica from the earliest times.
Roman period
The only record of southernmost Corsica in Roman times comes from the geographer
Ptolemy. He reports the coordinates of Marianum Promontory and town, which, plotted on a map, turn out to be the farthest south of Corsica. After listing the peoples of the east coast he states that the Subasani (
ancient Greek Soubasanoi) were "more to the south."
The people do not appear subsequently and the town and promontory have not been identified, nor do any Roman roads point to it. The only official road, the Via Corsica, ran between the Roman
castra of Mariana and
Aleria on the east coast and further south to Pallas, according to the
Antonine Itinerary. Ptolemy places Pallas unequivocally on the east coast north of Marianum. Although unrecorded tracks and paths to the far south are possible, it is unlikely they would have carried any significant Roman traffic.
Maritime traffic through the strait however was significant and it could hardly have neglected the fine harbor at Bonifacio. The most popular choice for Marianum Promontory therefore is Cape Pertusato, southernmost point of Corsica island, about east of the harbor, with Bonifacio itself as Marianum town. A second possibility would be the first century AD Roman ruins adjoining Piantarella Beach near the village of Ciappili and next to the grounds of Sperone golf course, a recreational suburb to the west of Bonifacio, but those ruins appear to represent a Roman
villa and the beach though eminently suitable for recreation is of little value as a port. More likely the villa belonged to a citizen of Bonifacio as Marianum.
Tuscan period
Il Torrione
Corsica was taken from the
Roman Empire in 469 AD by
Genseric, king of the
Vandals, and recovered by the
Eastern Empire in 534. The
Lombards having taken it again in 725,
Charlemagne (Defender of the Faith) cleared them out by 774 and handed the island over to the
Papacy, which had been the most powerful complainant of the island's devastation by Germanics. Starting in 806 the
Moors of
Spain began to contend for the island and held it for a short time but in 828 the Papacy assigned its defense to the margrave of
Tuscany, a powerful state of the
Holy Roman Empire nominally under the
Kingdom of Italy.
The city in evidence today was founded as a fortress by and subsequently named after
Boniface II of Tuscany in 828. He had led a naval expedition to suppress the
Saracens of North Africa and returned to build an unassailable fortress and naval base from which the domains of
Tuscany could be defended at the outermost frontier. Most of the citadel postdates the 9th century or is of uncertain date but Il Torrione, a round tower, was certainly part of the original citadel.
Sights
The town's charm and proximity to idyllic beaches makes it a popular tourist destination in the summer, predominantly for residents of mainland France.
Two
Genoese towers are in the neighbourhood:
Transportation
The town is served by
Figari airport (car or taxi required), and ferry service to
Sardinia is available multiple times daily.
Famous citizens
The following persons of note were born in Bonifacio:
Miscellanea
