Calvi

Geography

History

The archaeological excavations, led along the offshore bar and in the back-country, show that the bay was occupied as of the Neolithic time (5 000 to 2.500 years before J. - C.). The vestiges discovered indicate the principal localizations: the beach of Alga, Raccu, the peninsula of Revellata for the seaside; and more in withdrawal, the plate of Tightened and Grotta Agnellu, the two most important sites of the prehistory of the city.

With the Roman Empire, peace supports the exchanges between the maritime cities. Shelter for the merchant fleet, Calvi becomes also a strategic base. The city account then 14 Centurie S, military divisions and policies of one hundred men, ordered by veterans. The urbanization of the city adapts to the development, requiring the nomination of a praeses , in other words a prefect, for his administration. Consequently, nothing of surprising that at the 2nd century of the Christian era, the geographer alexandrine Ptolémée (90-168) indicates Calvi like “the most famous port of the island”.

The English admiral Nelson lost his eye at the time of the seat of the citadel of Calvi by his fleet.

Since 1967, the city accommodates in garrison the 2 {{E}} foreign regiment parachutists.

Dialect

The spoken language by the inhabitants of Calvi is the dialectal shape of Corsican, result of the superposition of Latin, Tuscan, génois, various dialects of Balagne neighbor. Contrary to Bonifaciens, Calvais do not speak a ligure dialect, even if one finds traces génoises in their language, as in many insular dialects, especially on the level of the lexicon.

Economy

The economy calvaise is primarily based on estival tourism. The international airport of Calvi Co.-Catherine (code AITA: CLY) and the port Xavier Colonna facilitate the access to many tourists. The airport is managed by the Chamber of commerce and of industry of Bastia and Haute-Corse.

If August and July is favourable at the family holidays, September and June is as for them the moments privileged for the holidays of groups of the third age.

Except estival tourism, Balagne (whose Calvi represents the principal city) has little, even not of industry. The factory of Zilia, which bottles the spring water represents the only industrial activity of the microphone-area.

Administration

NB: not being able to cumulate the electoral mandates, Ange Santini had to resign of her functions of Maire to the profit of those of president of the Corsican territorial collectivity. There remains nevertheless member of the Municipal council

Demography

Famous characters

Calvais support readily the theses historians on the origin calvaise of Christophe Colomb born at the moment when Calvi belonged to the Republic of Genoa.

Tourist monuments and places

Our lady of Tightened at the exit of Calvi on the road of Oporto: superb panorama on all the gulf.

The Citadel

Symbol of the town of Calvi, it was set up at the time of the occupation gênoise. Its paved lanes are picturesque and the sight on bay since the ramparts is splendid. Beautiful monuments there are found: the Saint-Anthony Oratory, the Explosives magazine, the Sampierro barracks and the house of Christophe Colomb. A way of visit was set up by the tourist office of Calvi in order to better do to discover this monument in charge of history.

The Saint-Anthony Oratory

The oratory Saint Antoine Abbé is the vault of the brotherhood of the same name. If the brotherhood Saint Antoine Abbé of Calvi dates from half of the 14th century, her oratory (called casazza in Corsican language) date of the beginning of the 16th century. It shelters still today, as opposed to what tell many guides, the meetings and the ceremonies of the brotherhood (offices for the dead, masses, employers' festival, office of Darkness, Holy Week, etc) because the forever desacralized building. Like the majority of the religious buildings, the brotherhood agrees to open her doors with the cultural events. The visitors will be able to appreciate three frescos dating from the years 1510 and 1513, as well as a triptych representing a crucifixion and the Annunciation, a Christ in cross of the end of the 17th century used still today for the ceremony of the Holy Week, a statue of Saint Antoine sitted Abbé (XVe S.) and another of the same saint going back to 2006 and carried out by the artist balanin Toni Casalonga. The brotherhood Saint Antoine Abbé of Calvi is one of most active and dynamic of Corsica: an important work of collection and restoration of the tradition (songs, processions, offices) has been made for more than twenty years; the brotherhood is strongly implied in the diffusion of the liturgy in Corsican language and is at the origin of a translation in Corsican of the Roman missal.

Notre-Dame of Tightened

Vault dominating Calvi, the virgin (holy owner of the city) who is drawn up there protects bay. Superb panorama on all the gulf. A celebration is devoted there each year

Turnings

The Amazing Race , American series carried out by Elects Doganieri and Bert Van Munster in 2001 (episode 8).

Twinnings

References

List of the Common of the Haute-Corse

Internal bonds

2nd foreign regiment parachutists

External bonds

To visit Calvi

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