Piana: History of Architecture and Landscape

The A Piana plain, also called E Piane, lies in Castifao at an average elevation of around 300 metres. The Tartagine reaches Castifao and forms wide meanders in its lower course. Thus, the landscape description places an open plain alongside the winding course of the river.

Landscape and Historic Routes

The Pont génois sur le Tartagine was built at A Piana in 1498. The bridge has a single arch and a humpbacked profile inspired by Genoese bridges. River bathing is also available at the Pont de Piana on the Tartagine. River conditions and safety can vary.

Historic routes also lend a sense of time to the landscape: shepherds from Niolu and Ascu used routes through Castifao for transhumance to the Agriates or the northern part of Balagne. Historic routes also include a path that descends from the Couvent San Francesco di Caccia to A Piana.

Churches and Medieval Architecture

The church of the Ancien couvent de Caccia was designated a historic monument by decree on 28 May 1979. The convent buildings were arranged in a U shape around a square courtyard, with the church closing off the fourth side. It was built in 1730 but remained unfinished. The date and the state of the building go together: the structure is recognisable by its historic design, although the church was never completed.

Medieval structures are visible in the fabric of Castifao. These include defensive towers, the bases of former towers, and buildings set into the rock, some of them almost underground. The Torra di a Paganosa stands on a narrow rocky outcrop at just under 600 metres above sea level. In its present form, it is a square tower with three storeys. The different architectural forms—from the tower on the rock to buildings embedded in it—can be clearly distinguished.

San Nicolau stands in the heart of the village of Castifao and developed over the centuries from an older, probably Romanesque place of worship. South-east of the municipality, at an elevation of 660 metres, stands the Chapelle Saint-Augustin, also known as Sant’Agostino. It dates from the Middle Ages. The choir still has a barrel vault with lunettes—a specific architectural feature that makes the chapel a recognisable building rather than merely a place name.

The Couvent San Francesco di Caccia and Getting There

The Couvent San Francesco di Caccia is in Castifao, opposite the neighbouring village of Moltifao, linking the two neighbouring municipalities. Its Baroque church is cautiously dated to 1510. Another historical reference concerns the sacristy: the Cunsulta met there in April 1756. Thus, the same building brings together a cautiously worded date and a precisely identified event, including its month and year.

To drive to Castifao, take the D547 through the lower Tartagine valley; at Bocca Capana, leave the D963 to do so. Road conditions can change, so it is worth checking the route before setting out. The San-Colombano circuit can be travelled by car, bicycle or motorcycle. It offers views of northern Balagne, the sea and the Agriates Desert. Road and viewpoint conditions can also vary.

The topics mentioned can be grouped by travel interest: the plain and meanders describe the landscape, while the churches, towers and historic routes show different aspects of architectural and cultural history. These themes can help guide your choice of travel dates and accommodation, without assuming any particular route or length of stay.

Discover more destinations: Palasca, Rogliano, Oletta, Verdèse, Corbara, Lama, Rapale, Aléria.

Back to the regional travel guide: Haute-Corse.