Two and a half miles beyond the bridge commences the Route
Forestière, No. 4, leading to Solenzara, 42½ m. N.E. This road
ascends by the Rizzanese to S. Lucia di Tallano, whence eastward to
Levie, 1970 ft.; and thence Zonza, 2586 ft. The road afterwards
ascends N.E. by a picturesque ravine to the Col Bavella, 3965 ft.;
whence after descending to the Maison Cantonniere, 1476 ft., it
crosses the Col Larone, 2013; whence it descends by a winding road
partly by the banks of the Fiumicello and partly by the R. Solenzara
to Solenzara (see p. 36).
[Map: Corsica, Central Region]
Shortly after crossing the Rizzanese the diligence commences the long
ascent to Sartène, disclosing views of the great valley below and of the
splendid snowy heights of the long range of mountains opposite,
terminating in the lofty regions of the great Monte Incudine, 7008 ft.
[Headnote: SARTÈNE.]
miles from AJACCIO
miles to SARTÈNE
{53}
SARTÈNE, 1000 feet; pop. 6010; _Inns:_ Commerce: Univers.
Coaches daily to and from Ajaccio, Bonifacio and Santa Lucia di
Tallano. Old Sartène is a town of narrow streets approached by a
fine bridge, whence the whole valley is seen down to the Gulf of
Valinco. It still retains some towers and parts of the walls erected
in the 16th century. The houses are built of rough, dark gray
granite, with steep stone steps leading up to the main entrance, and
odd Italian chimneys, some in the shape of pillars with curious
capitals, others in the form of towers or obelisks. The houses
bordering the Nouvello Traverse and the streets leading into the
"Place" form the new town.
Sartène to Corté by Vivario,
up the centre of the island. Maps, pp. 1 and 27.
This grand mountain road, No. 196 bis, extends from Sartène,
73 m. N. to the Ajaccio and Corté road, which it joins at the 60
kilometres-stone, on the Col Serra, ½ mile from Vivario. All the
diligences between Ajaccio and Corté halt at the inn of Vivario
(p. 8).
[Headnote: S. LUCIA DI TALLANO.]
After leaving Sartène the road crosses the Fiumicicoli and ascends the
valley of the Rizzanese to Loreto, 12 m., and Cargiaca 15 m. N. from
Sartène 1302 ft.; grand view. Near Loreto is S. Lucia di Tallano, 1270
ft., with a quarry of a beautiful amphibole, a variety of hornblende.
The ground colour is grayish blue sprinkled with white and margined with
black spots (see p. 37).
[Headnote: ZICAVO.]
From Cargiaca the road enters the valley of the Coscione and ascends
through the ilex forest of Taca amidst towering mountains and vertical
cliffs by the villages of Zerubia and Aullene, 2736 ft., pop. 1100; inn;
21 m. N. from Sartène. It now crosses the Coscione, 3492 ft., then the
Col Vaccia, 3898 ft., and descends by the Col d'Alisandri, 3426 ft., to
Zicavo, 2445 ft., with an inn, 17 m. from Aullene, 3½ m. E. from the
baths of Guitera, 38 m. N. from Sartène and 37 m. S. from Vivario.
From the Bocca Tinzole a road ramifies N.W. to Olivese 1460 ft., pop.
700, in the valley of the Taravo, 7 m. from Guitera by a beautiful
road.
From Zicavo the road crosses the Col San Francesco, 1969 ft., to
Cozzano, 40 m., pop. 900, and enters the valley of the Taravo, which it
ascends by the east bank between two great mountain chains, the
culminating point of the western chain being Mt. Don Giovanni 6405 ft.,
and that of the eastern Pointe Capella 6706 ft.
Three and a quarter miles up the valley from Cozzano a wheel road leads
1½ m. E. to the Maison Forestière of St. Antoine, whence a mule path by
the Col de Rapara, 5557 ft., extends to Isolaccio and the hot baths of
Pietrapola, p. 8, by a picturesque road through a beautiful part of the
forest.
Four and a half miles above Cozzano is the Col Scrivano, 2959 ft.,
whence a mule path leads across the valley to Palneca, pop. 1050, on the
wooded slopes of Mt. Pietra Cinta, 4958 ft.
A little below the summit of the Col is the Maison de Cantonniers de
Scrivano.
Nine and a half miles N. from Zicavo is the bridge Argentuccia, fronting
a grand semi-circle of mountains covered with noble trees. This is the
commencement of the real Verde forest.
Eleven and three quarter miles from Zicavo is the Maison de Cantonniers
de Ghiraldino, 3936 ft., 49 m. N. from Sartène, 2 m. S. from the Col
Verde and 5 m. S. from the House of Refuge of Marmano. A little beyond
the house a wheel road, left, descends into one of the finest parts of
the Verde forest.
[Headnote: COL VERDE.]
Thirteen and three quarter miles from Zicavo and 51 m. from Sartène is
the Col Verde, 4290 ft., with, nearly a mile distant, the Maison de
Cantonniers de Marmano. Below is the forest of Marmano, with its best
trees cut down, and in the neighbourhood the sources of the rivers
Taravo, 5678 ft., at the Col Tisina, of the Fium Orbo, 3783 ft. under a
mountain a little to the N. of the Col Verde, and of the Prunelli, 4790
ft., among a group of high mountains to the W. The Vecchio rises from
the springs on Mt. Oro.
[Headnote: REFUGE DE MARMANO.]
Seventeen miles from Zicavo and 54 m. from Sartène is the Refuge de
Marmano, 3182 ft., beautifully situated. Here was formerly the summer
station of the Casabianda penitentiary. The escaped criminals committed
such outrages that the government at the repeated petitioning of the
shepherds were obliged to withdraw it. Finally Casabianda was abandoned
also, and the prisoners removed to the neighbourhood of Ajaccio, where
they could be well looked after.
Food and lodging may be obtained at the Maison Forestière, or 1¼ m.
farther at the Maison de Cantonniers de Canareccia, 2760 ft., in the
rocky defile of the Fium Orbo. Between this and Ghisoni, 6 m., 3 bridges
and 2 low Cols are crossed. At the second bridge, the Pont de Casso,
4½ m. from Ghisoni, are seen the great pinnacles or needles and lofty
cliffs of Albuccia Point or Kyrie Eleison, 4935 ft.
From the Canaraccia the road winds its way northward along the flanks of
mountains sloping down to the Orbo, which it leaves shortly before
reaching
[Headnote: GHISONI.--COL SORBA.]
Ghisoni, pop. 1740, 2160 ft., 62 m. N. from Sartène, 12 m. S. from
Vivario, 8 m. N. from the House of Refuge, and 24 m. N. from Zicavo.
Four m. N. from Ghisoni the road crosses the Col Scozzolatojo, 3916 ft.,
and 2 m. farther the Col Sorba, 4310 ft., 6 m. S. from Vivario, see p.
8. The descent from the Col Sorba into Vivario is very striking. It is
effected by excessively sharp zigzags through a noble pine forest.
Between the branches tower the bold forms of Monte d'Oro, Monte Rotondo,
and, in the distance, behind the uplands of Corté, the crags of Monte
Traunato.
The best resting-places on this road are Zicavo, 39 m. S.E. from
Ajaccio, from which it is approached by a diligence; and the pleasant
village of Ghisoni, where there is a very fair inn. At Vivario there is
the Hotel Voyageurs. Guides and carriages should be hired either at
Sartène or Vivario, 20 frs. per day.
Ghisoni to Ghisonaccia.