As mentioned elsewhere, the best way to arrive at Calvi is by ferry from France early in the morning when the Citadelle, perched on its rocky promontory, seems to rise as if by magic out of the Mediterranean.

When you climb up into the Citadelle it does not disappoint with its narrow cobbled and stepped streets lined with ancient houses. Don’t miss the 13th Century Cathédrale St. Jean Baptiste right at the top or the 15th Century Governor’s Palace which is nowadays the Officer’s Barracks of the French Foreign Legion.

Settled by the Genoese during the 13th Century, Calvi was held by them until 1420, when the King of Aragon took the Port briefly, but the citizens welcomed the Genoese back the following year by helping to expel the Spanish. So grateful were the Genoese that the gate to the Citadelle was inscribed with the words “Civitas Calvis Semper Fidelis”, which can still be seen today, in order to recognise the faithfulness of the inhabitants. The Genoese eventually lost interest in Corsica however and, following the French Revolution, it officially became part of the new French Republic.