4 things to see in Bastia

The Genoese have been in charge of Bastia for hundreds of years, and the city is full of traces of their stay. Here are a few things to see in Bastia!
 

1- Old Port

Walk along the docks of the port and among the houses clustered on the slopes of the city. At the foot of almost every building is a restaurant or café where you can sit outside and look out to sea. In the opposite direction you can walk along the piers and quay and take a closer look at the old lighthouses that guard the harbor.

2- Church of Saint Mary

3- Citadel of Bastia

Tackle the walk to the citadel atop the cliff south of the old port and admire the area on the way. This walled neighborhood was known as the Bastille and that's where Bastia's name comes from. The Genoese controlled the citadel from 1380 until 1768, when the island was ceded to France. The ramparts were bombed during World War II, but have been completely restored.
 

4- Chapelle Sainte-Croix

Also in the citadel is a baroque oratory with a rococo interior, rich in gold, statues and carved marble. A fascinating detail is in the Chapelle du Christ Noir des Miracles: in the niche above the altar is a blackened oak statue of Christ of unknown origin, discovered at sea by anchovy fishermen in 1428. This has become the patron saint of Bastia's fishermen and is carried in procession through the Terra Nova neighborhood on May 3.

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