Sights in Bonifacio
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A
Mémorial du Passé Bonifacien
From the marina, the atmospheric Montée St-Roch leads to the citadel via Porte de Gênes (Genoa Gate; pedestrian access only). This gate was the only way of getting into the citadel until the Porte de France was built in 1854. To the north is the Bastion de l'Étendard, a remnant of the fortifications built in the aftermath of the siege in 1553. It is home to the Mémorial du Passé Bonifacien , where various episodes in the town's history have been re-created.
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Église Ste-Marie Majeure
The unmissable Église Ste-Marie Majeure was built by the Pisans and was completed in the 14th century. Although it has been modified on numerous occasions and has gradually lost its original style, it retains its main feature, the loggia, under the arches of which the notables of the town used to gather. Opposite it is the old cistern, in which the town formerly collected rainwater from the many aqueducts running above the streets of the vieille ville.
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Église St-Dominique
To the west of the Montée St-Roch citadel is the Église St-Dominique, one of the few Gothic churches in Corsica. It houses an altarpiece made of polychrome marble that dates back to the mid-18th century, as well as reliquaries carried in processions through the town during a number of religious festivals.
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Escalier du Roi d’Aragon
From the citadel, the Escalier du Roi d’Aragon cuts down the southern cliff-face. Its 187 steps were supposedly carved in a single night by Aragonese troops during the siege of 1420, although the troops were rebuffed by retaliating Bonifacio residents once they reached the top.
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Gouvernail de la Corse
At the western tip of the peninsula, an underground passage dug by hand during WWII leads to the Gouvernail de la Corse, a rock about a dozen metres from the shore with a shape reminiscent of the rudder of a ship.
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Bastion de l’Étendard
Inside the citadel’s old gateway, the Porte de Gênes, is the 13th-century Bastion de l’Étendard, which houses a small historical museum exploring Bonifacio’s past.
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Église Ste-Dominique
This is one of Corsica’s few Gothic churches. It has reliquaries carried in processions through the town during a number of religious festivals.
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Aquarium
The Aquarium is in a natural cave and features the marine flora and fauna of the Bouches de Bonifacio.
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Îles Lavezzi
Paradise! Part of a protected area (known as La Réserve Naturelle des Bouches de Bonifacio), the Îles Lavezzi is a clutch of uninhabited islets that are made for those who love nothing better than splashing in tranquil lapis lazuli waters.
The 65-hectare Île Lavezzi, which gives its name to the whole archipelago, is the most accessible of the islands and the southernmost point of Corsica. The island's savage beauty aside, its superb natural pools and scenic stretches of sand invite long sunbathing and swimming sessions. The island also has a cemetery for the victims who perished on board the Sémillante, a three-mast frigate that ran aground on Île Lavezzi in February 1…
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Citadel (Haute Ville)
Much of Bonifacio's charm comes from strolling the citadel's shady streets, soaking up the architecture and the atmosphere. From the marina, the paved montée Rastello and montée St-Roch bring you to the citadel's old gateway, the Porte de Gênes, complete with its original 16th-century drawbridge. Inside the gateway is the 13th-century Bastion de l'Étendard, which houses a small historical museum exploring Bonifacio's past. Stroll the ramparts to place du Marché and place de la Manichella, which both offer jaw-dropping views over the Bouches de Bonifacio.
Several streets are spanned by arched aqueducts, which originally collected rainwater to fill the communal cistern …
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