Travel Guides Crafted by Experienced Archaeologists & Historians
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Corsica
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums

Corsica is an island south east of mainland France, just north of the Italian island of Sardinia. Physically, the island was created from a series of volcanic eruptions; consequently it is the most mountainous of all the Mediterranean islands. Wonderful coastal beaches contrast with scenic high-altitude lakes, and it is this diversity of landscapes that makes the legendary GR20 hiking trail one of the most notable in Europe. The departments on Corsica are: Corse du Sud and Haute-Corse.

Archaeology & History Sites in Corsica

© TeletubAstyanax / Wikimedia

Ancient Aléria - Alalia

The archaeological site of Aléria covers a plateau adjacent to the Medieval town of the same name. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 6th century BC, Aléria was a port city located on major Mediterranean trade routes, and then subsequently occupied by the Greeks, Etruscans and the Romans. The city was burned in 410 AD and sacked by the Vandals in 465 AD, after which time it became a small village of little significance.

Museums & Art Galleries in Corsica

© Pierre Bona / Wikimedia

Archaeological Museum of Aléria

The Musée Archéologique Jérôme Carcopino in Aléria has collections of artefacts that not only relate to the history of Corsica, but also of the Mediterranean more generally. The collections derive from the nearby archaeological site of Aléria, and date from the Neolithic through to the Roman period. And it is the ancient importance of the port city of Aléria that makes the museum’s collections so significant.