Dive into the heart of Bonifacio's citadel

Stroll through the medieval citadel

A medieval citadel perched high above alabaster cliffs, narrow streets to lose yourself in and relics from another era: Bonifacio is full of secrets, some of which are jealously guarded. In the Middle Ages, the city was built under Genoese influence and has retained its unique character. Welcome to the heart of Bonifacio, recognized as a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (Town of Art and History) since 2019, which welcomes visitors for a journey back in time and out of time, through alleyways covered with small cobblestones that are sometimes slippery and uneven, and best walked in sneakers rather than heels. Here, centuries of history stare back at us, and that’s no mere expression…

The Bonifacio Citadel,
a little extra soul

Discovery in the morning light

Bonifacio is first and foremost a memory from a class trip… An unforgettable memory: a stroll along the sea, cliffside houses, vertiginous staircases, sunshine and turquoise water! It’s been 20 years since I last set foot there! This time, I’m off to conquer Bonifacio, with my husband and children (two), who’ll need a lot of motivation!

The Citadel of Bonifacio,
a promontory overlooking the sea

Admire breathtaking views of sister island Sardinia

On leaving the Porte de Gênes, make your first stop at the Bastion de l’Etendard, which from its 75-metre height offers breathtaking views of the port, the countryside and Sardinia, sometimes hidden in the mist. Leave the Bastion and head towards the market square to approach the Diu Grossu, a huge rock that looks like a grain of sand. In the distance, the sister island reveals its coastline, while the Pertusato lighthouse, on the left, guides boats. To the right of the square, two houses literally cling to the cliff and seem to float above the Mediterranean. One of them belonged to the actress Marie José Nat, one of Bonifacio’s most illustrious children.

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On the market square, you can take time out for a coffee, watch the town come alive, enjoy the sea air…
In a word: breathe.

The narrow streets of the Citadel have an Italian accent

Discover Genoese and Pisan influences

Let’s enter the narrow streets to stop at the 12th-century church of Sainte Marie Majeure, around which narrow streets and houses have grown up, following the slopes and unevenness of the landscape, which are reflected in the narrowness of the strette – the little streets – and the houses. If you close your eyes, you can imagine women conversing at windows, peering at children playing outside, calling out to passers-by. Scenes of life in the Middle Ages that have endured, as in the old Italian quarters in the heart of Genoa or Pisa, cities with an undeniable influence on Bonifacio. We’ll discover the ochre colors, the wooden doors whose weight sometimes seems to forbid anyone to push them open, we’ll be surprised by the sculptures on the facades, which take up coats of arms and tell the story of the Citadel in their own way. You’ll wonder at the staircases, which look almost like miller’s ladders: you’d better have breath and legs if you live in Bonifacio’s Citadel! The lower parts of the houses, as is still often the case, were devoted to economic activities. The upper floors were the living quarters of families who liked to see the light streaming in through the many windows, as symbols of the owners’ wealth.

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The Citadelle of Bonifacia, an asserted character

From the Genoese quarter to the Pisan quarter

In the Citadelle, each little square has its own character, and sets the tone, like so many mini-neighborhoods, each with its own specificity. Just as they define themselves as children of thechurch of Saint Jean Baptiste or Saint Dominique, Bonifaciens like to say they’re from Rue Longue, Place Carrega or Rue Doria. Stop for a chat with the locals: they’ll always welcome you with a smile – and no doubt sometimes with a touch of macagna, the art of humor. They’ll tell you all about their churches, their confraternities to which they’re so attached, and the way down to the Pisan quarter, the streets become wider, even if the early-morning sun has a little trouble penetrating. Biscornus staircases are still to be seen, but wrought iron is more modern. The whitewash is making its presence felt. The flagstones are wider, the buildings more sober, even if the Gothic art of the churches is still there. In rue Saint Dominique, the smell of cookies and pain des morts wafts from the Sorba bakery… Yum!

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Palmier Place Carrega Haute Ville Bonifacio

The building site of the century

Restored ramparts

The military history of the medieval Citadel

Before taking the time to sample a Rocca Serra ice cream, the walk takes you through the former barracks, past the former chapel of Sainte Marie Madeleine, now a confraternity house – if you hear singing, it’s the Coro di Sole choir rehearsing for the next mass – then on to the marine cemetery. At the far end of the site, the highlight of the show: a covered walkway, the rehabilitated ramparts – the work of the century, as they say here. The Saint François Battery was built between the 12th and 20th centuries, and has been a listed historic monument since 1929. To visit it is to plunge into the military history of the Bonifacians, those who watched over the sea, protecting their city from potential enemies… The stones seem to want to speak, to transmit their energy. We’re in a place that’s unique enough and has been restored to continue to intrigue visitors for a long time to come. The unobstructed view over the Goulet, the sea entrance to the port, is breathtaking. Opposite, the Madonetta lighthouse invites you to take a walk, this time in the countryside.

Did you know?

As the only Gothic churches in Corsica, Bonifacian churches benefited from stained-glass windows and altarpieces on wood by Italian masters, painters and glassmakers. Unfortunately, these treasures, too fragile for the Bonifacian climate, have all disappeared. An exhibition has been devoted to them, and a book traces their history, based on the names of the great masters who worked on them.

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Vertiginous stairs to climb

A curiosity carved out of rock

Let’s retrace our steps for a moment… In the Pisan quarter, along the path that runs alongside the school, a few metres from the Torrione, you’ll find a curiosity, an emblem, a place like few others: 189 steps, each more irregular than the last, carved out of limestone. Legend has it that the steps were dug out in one night by the troops of Alfonso V, King of Aragon, in 1420. The less fanciful but equally impressive historical facts, however, point to the work of Franciscan monks to gain access to a source of drinking water, the Saint Barthélémy well.

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Charming details

Follow the advice of a guide

No matter how well you know the Citadelle, or think you do, some details are not so easily tamed. You can lose yourself in the alleys twenty times over, and still see something you’ve never noticed before, discover a slightly hidden art gallery, a passionate craftsman who will explain how he works. A guide will show you around this charming neighborhood. A treasure hunt will delight the little ones (and allow the grown-ups to discover many secrets too). The wonderful thing about La Citadelle is that it offers a different show for every visit, every hour, every season. And all are waiting to be discovered.