The surroundings

To the south of your villa rental in Corsica, just beyond Propriano, 13km away, less than 25 minutes by car and less than an hour by bike, you will discover the wild beaches of Capu Laurosu and its protected coves! A wonderful spot for all nature lovers!

 

Continuing further south, you will reach Campomoro beach with its white sand, only 26 km away from your holiday rental.

The Cantu di Mare residence is located at Olmeto-Plage, part of the picturesque and tranquil village of Olmeto near Propriano.

 

This typical village, clinging to the mountainside and overlooking the splendid Gulf of Valinco, is truly an idyllic place for a house rental in Corsica.

 

The granite houses of Olmeto spread out in clusters on the southern slopes of Punta di Buturettu, a mountain 870 meters high. The village with its red-tiled roofs descends towards the plains and the sea.

 

Exploring this Corsican village just a few minutes from your holiday home will transport you back in time through the magic of historical sites, such as its religious heritage, like the Sainte-Marie church, a Romanesque church built in the 9th century, which houses magnificent organs dating from 1850, and the remains of the last convent built in Corsica by the Capuchins in 1711. You will also discover in the winding streets some mysterious medieval towers adorned with machicolations and loopholes.

The Stantari are located on a pass northeast of the plateau. The monoliths were arranged in a double alignment facing north and south. The I Stantari alignment consists of 30 sculpted monoliths, of which 7 appear to represent warriors from that era. The Rinaghju menhir alignment is located at the southern end of the plateau. Situated around a significant habitat dating back to the early Neolithic period, this alignment most likely dates back to the middle of the 5th century BC. It was during the early Bronze Age that the lines were better structured and complemented with stele stones, then statue stones.

 

The Funtanaccia dolmen, known as 'Stazzona di u diavulu' (the devil's forge), is the most symbolic monument of megalithic Corsica. Located on a small elevation at the foot of the U Gregu hill, it is the best-preserved of the Corsican dolmens. It is made of a monolithic slab resting on six astonishingly aligned uprights and is positioned perpendicularly east-west to the I Stantari and Rinalghju alignments. It was a collective burial site, with a 4 m² funerary chamber (one of the largest in Corsica) opening towards the rising sun.

The first inhabitants lived exclusively on fishing, fruit gathering, and hunting, using tools made of wood or hard stone like flint or obsidian. The latter did not exist in Corsica, so it had to be imported, which seems to prove that the Corsicans were already communicating with their Sardinian neighbors, as it is believed that the obsidian rock actually comes from Monte Arci in Sardinia. The stone sculptors, the megalithic sculptors, made Filitosa the greatest center of Corsican and Mediterranean art sculpture.

 

Initially, the standing stone was just a stone erected in the ground. Then, the stone was carved and the head appeared. This was followed by the transition from the standing stone to the statue-like standing stone where the body is separated from the head. Then came the armed statues, but their meaning is still uncertain.

 

The first hypothesis is that they represent the strength of enemy clan chiefs who died on the battlefield to neutralize it, which could explain why many of these statues were diverted by the 'Torre' for use in the construction of their cultural monuments.

 

The second hypothesis is a representation of the brave warrior protecting the population against thieves. The transition from the unarmed statue to the armed statue shows the adoption of weapons by the inhabitants of Filitosa, weapons probably imported from Sardinia. This hypothesis does not provide any explanation for the destruction of these statue-like standing stones and their reuse in the central monument.

 

Finally, the third hypothesis is a change in cultural and religious beliefs and the desire to rid themselves of the witnesses of their former faith by erecting large circular monuments, the torre. Thus, Filitosa selfishly keeps its secrets.

Perched above the sea, at the southern tip of the island, the city of cliffs erects the superb walls of its citadel. Within its walls and overlooking the harbor below, the quiet streets are surrounded by tall houses with incredibly steep stairs.

 

From the walls of the citadel and along the magnificent maritime cemetery of Bonifacio, you can see a long line of cliffs stretching northward towards the Hermitage of the Trinity. To the south, they head towards the Pertusato lighthouse and the Lavezzi Islands, known for their beautiful beaches with turquoise waters and surrounded by one of the only marine reserves in Corsica.

Although the town of Sartène has only 3,400 inhabitants, it is actually the largest town in Corsica with 33 km of coastline. It stretches from Cala d'Arana in the north to Cala di Rocapina in the south, and includes the Cap Senetosa and its lighthouse, the port of Tizzano, and the two large beaches of Tralicetu and Erbaghu. This is also where you will find the Palaghu alignments and the Cauria plateau with the Funtanaccia dolmen and the Stantari and Renaggiu alignments.

 

The town center is the main square (Place Porta), surrounded by the town hall, the former palace of the Genoese governors, and the Sainte-Marie church. Shaded by palm trees and elms, and with its friendly cafes and market, this square is the meeting place for the locals and is the heart of Sartène.