Saint-Florent
Presentation
The port and its citadel, gateway to Agriate
Its port, once a centre of trade, now welcomes boaters and visitors, under the watchful eye of its 15th-century citadel.e century. Rich in religious heritage, Saint Anne's Church watches over the harbour quays, while the Romanesque Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, set back from the town, invites contemplation. In the background, the limestone chain of Mont Sant'Anghjulu provides a spectacular backdrop, extending beyond the Grand Site towards Agriate and its wild landscapes.
A bit of history
The maritime gateway to the Grand Site de France
In ancient times, the Mediterranean Sea was a favourable location for maritime trade.
The great powers traded all kinds of goods there via sea routes that became increasingly structured over the centuries.
Located in the heart of the Mediterranean, Corsica – and in particular the Gulf of Saint-Florent – occupied a strategic position in this maritime traffic and on the major ancient routes. The island developed thanks to these external interactions, supplying Rome with some of its products and men.
Saint-Florent, witness to Corsica's maritime history
Nebbiu, a fertile land overlooking the sea
The Romans highlighted the plains located behind coastal cities. Thus, Nebbiu, former name of Saint-Florent, offered favourable conditions for development due to its fertile plain, favourable to the’farming.
Furthermore, located at the end of a gulf, the city offered a secure natural shelter for boats: one could load and unload goods while being protected from bad weather and any hacker attacks. That is why a port was established there.
The Genoese period: citadel and coastal defences
Later, during the Genovese period, a citadel was built near the port of Saint-Florent, protected by the Farinole and Mortella towers.
This configuration influenced the choice of Genoa, in 1440, to establish the city permanently at this location.
The’Emperor Napoleon I, in 1793, regretted not having been able to make Saint-Florent a capital and one stronghold.
From commercial port to fishing port
It is only at 19th century, starting from 1844, that the port was truly developed to accommodate fishing vessels, the main activity of the inhabitants.
From 1903, a steamboat of the Fraissinet company, ensuring the connections between the mainland and Balagne, stopped off at Saint-Florent every fortnight.
This sea link ceased in 1938.
The transformation of tourism in the 20th century
The town of Saint-Florent has undergone significant mutations with the development of tourist and seaside activities, which gradually replaced the traditional fishing.
From the 1950s, a beautification project of the city is born: the first terrace right is granted, of trees are planted, and new ones hotels and campsites are built to accommodate tourists.
The creation of the marina begins, meanwhile, in the 1960s.
A modern port committed to the environment
The development of tourism in those years, particularly with the’port expansion (leisure, water sports), has led to a real economic dynamism.
The city, wound around its citadel, gradually spread along the road axes leading to north, towards Bastia and the Cape Corsica ; at the’west, towards the Balagne ; and at south, towards the villages of Nebbiu.
Le port of Saint-Florent, well protected from winds, now offers a capacity of 670 places per year and 250 temporary parking spaces.
He is actively involved in environmental protection and obtained the Blue Flag label, which rewards a proper waste management, from water and infrastructure.
He has also become a refuge for numerous aquatic species, thanks to the installation of fish nurseries as part of the project Biohut.
Saint-Florent, at the crossroads of Corsican territories
Today, the city of Saint-Florent is located at crossroads of dynamic regions :
- the Cape Corsica, a mountainous peninsula jutting out into the Gulf of Genoa ;
- the Nebbiu, genuine «golden conch» according to Pascal Paoli, dominated by the Monte Astu (1,535 m) ;
- and the’Agriate, vast natural area bordered by 35 kilometres of coastline and from sandy beaches, including the famous Saleccia Beach.
(Sources: MERIA Guy, Saint-Florent and its region: A human adventure from prehistory to the present day; ISTRIA Daniel, Powers and fortifications in northern Corsica from the 11th to the 14th century; SILVANI Paul, In Corsica during the time of Paoli. Albiana; Saint-Florent Town Hall.)
A port steeped in history and spirituality
The Citadel of Saint Florent (1440) – Listed and Registered Emblematic Monument
Built by the Doge of Genoa, Giano I di Campofregoso, the citadel was expanded and improved several times, whether by the Genoese in the 16th century, in 1553 by General Paul de La Barthe de Thermes, or in the 18th century when the city consolidated its fortifications. The citadel was transformed again at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It has retained an 18th-century powder magazine, a former 17th-century chapel, 19th-century prisons and the 15th-16th-century keep (torrione) that commanded the harbour cove. It was from this fort that Pascal Paoli left Corsica in 1795 for his permanent exile in England.
Church of Santa Maria Assunta (12th century) – Listed Monument
The former cathedral of Nebbiu (diocese of Nebbio before 1789), known as the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, is located on the outskirts of Saint-Florent along the small road that climbs towards Poggio d'Oletta via the Strette di San Germanu. It is a magnificent medieval limestone building that is still sometimes used as a place of worship. The date of its construction is uncertain, but it was built in the 12th century between 1125 and 1140. The cathedral houses the relics of Saint Flor, a Roman soldier martyred in the 3rd century. Since the 18th century, the relic of the saint, which was given to the Bishop of Nebbio by Rome, has been celebrated every three years on Whit Monday.
The beaches of Agriate (adjacent to the Grand Site de France)
The stunning beaches of the Gulf of Saint-Florent and Agriate are among the most beautiful in Corsica. They can be reached on foot via the coastal path starting from Saint-Florent.
The Coastal Path starting from Roya Beach
Located at the mouths of two rivers, the Poghju and the Alisu, which give it an indefinable charm, the town of Saint-Florent is also at the heart of the Patrimonio AOP, renowned for the quality of its wines, which are exported all over the world. However, even with this remarkable development, the town has managed to retain the soul of a small village with its central square where people play pétanque, and its small shopping streets where the variety of shops allows residents and visitors to find everything they need for a pleasant stay.