Discover Rutali: Churches, Chapels and Hiking Trails

Rutali offers a variety of reasons to visit, from sacred architectural heritage to festival traditions and hiking trails. Your choice depends on whether you are especially interested in church art, the celebration of Santa Chjara or a hike through the maquis. Construction dates, festival dates and route information provide different points of reference.

Churches, Chapels and Sacred Art

The parish church of San Vitu in Rutali is a Baroque church. Construction began in the 17th century and was completed in the 18th century. An embroidered gold vestment, donated in 1860 by Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III, is on display at San Vitu. Visitors can also see a 19th-century gilded wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in the church. It is known as “A Madunuccia.”

The Romanesque chapel of San Sari stands at U Loru in Rutali. Madame Moracchini-Mazel dates it to the late 10th century or the first half of the 11th century. The two buildings therefore date from distinctly different periods: San Vitu dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, while San Sari dates back to a much earlier era.

Forest, Views and Festival Traditions

Rutali includes part of the Stella state forest. The Natura 2000 site Massif du Tenda et forêt de Stella includes Rutali within the Forêt de Stella sub-area.

The chapel of Santa Chjara stands on a plateau at an altitude of 800 m. From there, the view extends across the Nebbiu and the Bastia plain to Casinca, as well as over the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas. To celebrate Santa Chjara on 12 August, the residents of Rutali make a morning pilgrimage to the chapel. Mass is followed by a procession to a rock above Rutali and the Nebbiu. If you plan to attend the festival, check the schedule in advance, as timings may change.

Another tradition is part of the celebration of Saint Roch: the small loaves called “i panioli,” made by the baker in Rutali, are blessed and distributed there. They are associated with this celebration.

Hiking Trails and Historical Traces

The Trà aghje è Pagliaghji circular route is about 6 km long and takes 2.5 to 3 hours. It follows paved mule tracks through fragrant maquis and offers views of the Nebbiu and the Gulf of Saint-Florent. North of Rutali, the route leads to a small cemetery containing the graves of six Moroccan riflemen. They fell in combat against the German occupiers during the Second World War on 28 and 30 September 1943.

The medieval Ponte à Turrenu is nearby. It can be reached on foot via a path along the Bivincu. From this path, one trail leads to the ruined village of Turrenu, while another passes through San Vitu on its way to Rutali.

A hiking trail above Rutali has only gentle elevation changes. It runs through maquis with strawberry trees, oaks and a few chestnut trees, and offers sea views to the east and west at an altitude of 600 m. The trail can also be started near the Funtana Nova locality, where there is a signposted route and an orientation map.

Discover more destinations: Farinole, Pianello, Morosaglia, Aregno, Isolaccio-Di-Fiumorbo, Santa-Lucia-Di-Moriani, Lucciana, Santo-Pietro-Di-Tenda.

For the broader travel overview: Haute-Corse.