Discover San-Giovanni-Di-Moriani

San-Giovanni-Di-Moriani brings together historic religious buildings, botanical trails and woodland. Two hikes with specific details are worth considering as you plan your trip: the botanical trail takes three hours and reaches a maximum elevation of 782 m; Boucle 4 is 9.5 km long. There are also villages with rural Corsican architecture, an archaeological trace from the Neolithic period, and a forest where golden eagles are common. These themes of culture and nature offer different ways to get to know the area.

Churches and traces of the past

The complex comprising the parish church of San Giovanni and the confraternity chapel dates from the second half of the 17th century. The Chapel of San Mamilianu is a former medieval parish church building; as a Romanesque chapel, it dates from the 10th century. It stands on the heights above the village and can be reached on foot. The Chapel of Notre-Dame des Sept Douleurs in Casone also has a long history: it may date from the first half of the 18th century and was restored in the last quarter of the 20th century.

Another glimpse into the past can be found at the Castelli Vechju archaeological site in the municipality of San Ghjuvanni. A Neolithic settlement was discovered there. Together with the chapels, this find spans a period from the Neolithic through the Middle Ages to buildings of the early modern period, without any single building needing to represent all these eras.

Botanical trail through Fano and Poggio

The Ghjassu botanicu di San Ghjuvanni, the botanical trail of San Giovanni, starts at the parish church of San Giovanni. Fifty plants are labelled in French, Latin and Corsican. Plants and their names in three languages are among the route’s distinctive features. The trail passes through the typical villages of Fano and Poggio, with their rural Corsican architecture; along the way, you can also discover birds.

Several figures give an idea of the trail’s duration and landscape: the botanical trail takes three hours, reaches a maximum elevation of 782 m and has an elevation difference of 317 m. Its duration and elevation profile complement each other, giving you different points of reference for planning this hike.

Boucle 4 and views over the east coast

Another hiking option is Boucle 4. The 9.5 km route takes you through San Ghjuvanni di Moriani and past its many chapels. Near San Mamilianu, the view stretches over Corsica’s east coast, from the port of Taverna to the beginning of Cap Corse. Here, the focus is on distance, chapels and far-reaching coastal views. By comparison, the botanical trail is described by its duration and elevation figures; Boucle 4 can be gauged by its distance in kilometres.

Forest and regional produce

Between Bucatoghju and Pietrignani, the forest consists of yew and boxwood. Golden eagles are common in this forest. The plant life and birdwatching thus point to the same named stretch of forest, while the hikes reveal the landscape from a different perspective. Nature enthusiasts can choose from specific things to discover, including the plants labelled in several languages along the botanical trail and the golden eagles commonly found in the forest.

Baked goods are also part of the local offering: L’Alta Spiga makes bread, pastries and biscuits in a wood-fired oven using natural sourdough. Alongside churches, archaeological traces and hiking trails, this offers another regional facet, described through specific products and how they are made.

Discover more destinations: Vallecalle, Sorbo-Ocagnano, Montegrosso, Campana, Piana, Moriani-Plage, San-Nicolao, Barbaggio.

For the wider travel overview: Haute-Corse.