Corsica: in the footsteps of the "usurper"
If you think about what the Corsica is associated with, it immediately comes to the head, Vendetta, separatists, Napoleon Bonaparte, and a mass of films taken on Corsica and Corsica.
I initially got acquainted with the corsica through the eyes of the Great Proster Merim. If the "war and the world" is considered to be the encyclopedia of Russian life, then the "Colomb" Merime can be fully considered the encyclopedia of the life of Corsican. However, the great writer, having visited Corsica, fell in love with her, and the fruit of his love was not only "Colomba", but also a lot of other novel.
It is noteworthy that the period described in the novel should be considered the beginning of the origin of tourist interest in Corsica and, as a result, the formation of new directions in Europeans.
Well, the reason for such interest – who would you think? Well, of course, Napoleon Bonaparte! And the interest of the Motherland of the UzurPator arose exactly at the moment when the sail of the ship, carrying it to the place of the first link to the Elbe Island, barely dissolved in the sea haze. Fear and hate to a person who foul in the whole of Europe, who twisted all the capable men’s population of France, was changed to curiosity for about 1815. And the first to venture on the adventure, there were, oddly enough, his sworn enemies – the British.
Actually, from that begins "Colomb" – English Colonel Nevel and his daughter Lydia in the company with Corsican, French lieutenant ORSO Della Rebia ride from Marseille in Ayachcho.
I decided to go to the literary journey through Corsica, to walk in the footsteps of the heroes Merim and make up his own opinion about the island. And do it in the same way – first under the sail, and then … then how it turns out.
Ayachcho Bay is quite tightly clogged with yachts, and the city itself will obviously crumble in two centuries. Old Ajaccio is something, coloring in his old streets, balconies, taverns enough, although he is not overloaded by tourists. But for me it is an obvious plus. Moreover, such an invasion of a tourist, as, say, on the azure coast or the west coast of Italy, there is no close – both in the city marina and on the raid there will be a place for the yacht, and there will be no big problems with parking for a car. And this says about many.
After a three-day swimming in front of the eyes of our travelers, a magnificent panorama of Ajaccio bay. Rightly compare it with the view of the Neapolitan Bay … Around Ayachcho everything is dead and deserted. only gloomy poppies are visible yes behind them bald mountains. Not a single villa, not a single housing. Only in some way, on the surrounding city of altitudes, the white building stands out on a green background: these are gravestone chapels, family crypts. Everything in this landscape is full of solemn and sad beauty
Busts, signs and images of Napoleon in a wide variety of variations here at every step, in every souvenir shop, and not only souvenir – after several hours spent in the city, there is a persistent feeling that Napoleon – still emperor France.
And if you have been destined to visit Ayachcho, it is worth following the heroine of Roman Merim Miss Lidia to go first of all over Napoleonic places.
Having been in the room where Napoleon was born, having delivered himself more or less sinless means of a piece of wallpaper from this room, Miss Lidiya, as another day, after arriving at Corsica, felt in the saddest mood of the Spirit, as it should be with every alien who came to the country , the uncertainty of the inhabitants of which seems to condemn it to full loneliness
It’s funny that all those people that so fiercely recently hated Napoleon, now the furtively choke pieces of wallpaper from the room, where he was born. And therefore it is not surprising that there are no authentic wallpapers for a long time: everything that has survived is tiny scraps, carefully consolidated in the frame under glass. And this, unfortunately, everything that survived from such as Miss Lidia. However, not only from them. The house where Bonaparte were born and died, at one time suffered from Pati’s supporters (Corsican political and military actor, who advocated the independence of the island).
Dad, throw these poor birds! Come better with us to dream in Napoleon’s grotto
It is believed that it was in this place that young Napoleon retired to be alone. Indeed, the nudity of huge boulders (the weight of every about 100 tons) forms the grotto, a secluded corner that any teenager would consider for happiness to have as a place for games.
Apparently, it was this stone painter that subsequently predetermined the location of the monument to Napoleon himself, which is located next door. In fact, the monument to the commander – the pyramid, the foot of which is the grotto, and on the top of which he himself stands.
Below the inscription: "Napoleon I – Emperor of France 1804-1815", and then Up – a list of memorable battles of the greatest commander. Here, unfortunately, Borodino, Austerlitz, but Waterloo and Leipzig are missing for obvious reasons.
True, Miss Lydia, closing in Napoleon’s grotto, could not see the monument yet – he appeared on the mercy of Austerlitz significantly later.
Around the Personality of Napoleon still do not fade in relation to its growth, memory for names and T. D. Disposhers do not come to a single opinion, why it is called a "small corporal". Contrary to the well-minded opinion, Napoleon was not low – for that time he had an average height.
And he also never had a corporal. Why corporal? The answer can be found at the same Prosper Merima, in a fragment, where the main hero of ORSO Della Rebia talks about his origin from Corsican "Caprals": "True, our genus is proud, counting Caprals among their ancestors, but our Corsican Caprals never wore Galunov on uniforms. Around 1100, some communities have indignant against the tyranny of mountain sygrids and chose the leaders who were called Caprals. On our island are proud of the origin from these in some kind of tribunes ".
Everything becomes in place – Bonaparticles also had their own ancestors "Caprals".
Do not get to the palace of Cardinal Fesha, Uncle Napoleon Bonaparte, it would be a big mistake, although Miss Lydia’s route is missing. Here collected a collection of Italian painting of the XV-XVI centuries, Botticelli, Lorenzo-Di-Credit, Veronese and Titian, as well as personal belonging to the family of Bonaparts and Napoleon himself. Near the Palace there is a chapel of the emperor, built by Napoleon III specifically for the burial of the remains of the Bonaparts family.
Pietraner Place, where the main and most dramatic events of the novel Merim are unfolded, is completely not impressive – now it is the usual resort town, in which almost no old houses left and nothing reminds anything about Vendette, nor about the wilders of his inhabitants in the past.
Continuous disappointment, because it was here I expected to get the strongest impressions!
Pietraner Place built very wrong, like all Corsican villages. Houses, scattered as it were, randomly and without the slightest planning, occupy a top of a small hill or rather a mining plateau
But I was delighted with the pearls of Corsica, which in the novel is almost not mentioned, – Bastia and Bonifaccio. To visit there decisively. And the first acquaintance is better to reduce the sea – such amazing on the beauty of the sheer cliffs in all of Europe is not found.
In the center of the Bonifaccio cemetery, a monument was established in memory of local residents who fell out for France in various military conflicts. One of them, Lieutenant of the 6th line of lineing infantry regiment Andrea Malberty, fell on July 7, 1855 at the storming of Malakhov Kurgan. I didn’t have it buttons I found in Sevastopol, during the filming of the film "Russian Track. The genius of the underground war "?
If Bastia and Bonifaccio – Corsica’s business cards, then the Corte is the geographical center of the island, his heart and soul, town, where, unlike other corners of the island, there is no cult of Napoleon.
But there is a cult of another son Corsica, a fighter for his freedom Pasqual Pati. Thanks to him from 1755 to 1769, Corsica was the first and last time was independent, and the court became her capital. It can be said that it was a starry instant of Corsican separatism. Here you can still see on the walls of old houses bullet holes, which are more than 200 years.
They never scream, do not argue; If the passions are spoiled, pistol shots are distributed, which are always preceded by threats. Corsican from nature is important and silent. In the evening, there are some wishes to breathe fresh air, but almost only alien walks. The islanders remain at their doors; Every one’s relatives like falcon on his nest
By the way, it is precisely these certain characteristics of the character of Corsicans and explains the relative few of tourists on the island. And do not be surprised when in the mountains in the area of the court you will come across the road signs in French, reminiscent of a sieve. All the evil of the world was imposed in these signs, and the frarators did not regret local residents to fight him. And when the fraction ends, there is a common paint. However, there is little tourist here, Corsicans are benevolent and hospitable for visitors.
Here it is just worth changing the car on a bike and trekking boots. Then you will open unprecedented mountain beauties: rivers, waterfalls and generally paradise for a photographer and an amateur of active tourism. Completed European aesthets behind this here and come.
It is here that the revelation is finally descending, which comes to Corsica worth not only because she was the birthplace of the French emperor.
