Bonifacio — Odyssey of the Laestrygonians

Your journey begins on Quai Jérôme Comparetti, at the Port of Bonifacio, a natural shelter that has seen Greeks, Romans, and Genoese. It is here, according to some scholars, that Homer's Odyssey places the land of the Laestrygonians, man-eating giants who allegedly destroyed Odysseus's ships. The current port can accommodate about 450 sailboats, but its average depth of 6 to 8 meters already allowed access for modern trading ships in antiquity, making Bonifacio an essential maritime crossroads in Corse-du-Sud.

Ascending towards the Citadel of Bonifacio, you reach the Market Square, or Piazza Doria, a commercial and social hub since the 13th century. Surrounded by Genoese and Venetian era buildings, this square, accessible through the Porta Genovese, still hosts a weekly traditional Corsican market. It is in these original medieval cobbled streets, 2 to 3 meters wide for defensive reasons, that Bonifacio's 2,000 to 3,000 medieval inhabitants lived, indicating an exceptionally high urban density for the period.

The King of Aragon's Staircase, carved into the cliff, is a listed historical monument that leads you down to the sea via 187 steps. Local legend says it was dug in one night by the troops of Alphonse V of Aragon during the 1420 siege, though its construction is traditionally dated to the 13th or even 15th century. From this panoramic viewpoint, you admire the Cliffs of Bonifacio, these white limestone walls 70 to 90 meters high, formed by marine erosion and composed of Urgonian limestone from the Lower Cretaceous, about 130 million years ago.

Your exploration of Genoese heritage in the Mediterranean leads you to the Governor's Loggia (Palazzo della Loggia), a 15th-16th century civil building, seat of Genoese administrative power from 1195 to 1768. Its Genoese Gothic architecture, with stone arcades and characteristic mullioned windows, is a testament to Genoa's influence. Not far, the Church of Sainte-Marie-Majeure, whose Romanesque construction is attested from the 12th century and partially rebuilt in the 16th after Barbary raids, houses a 17th-century Baroque altarpiece and marble baptismal fonts, proving continuous worship since the Middle Ages.

Your odyssey concludes at Cap Pertusato, Bonifacio's southern rocky promontory. The Cap Pertusato Lighthouse, built in 1857, still guides maritime navigation in the Strait of Bonifacio, only 12 kilometers from Sardinia. It is a strategic viewpoint over the Lavezzi Islands and a site of geological studies since the 19th century. This historical walking tour in Corse-du-Sud, a true augmented reality GPS treasure hunt, will have taken you through the history of Bonifacio, from its ancient legends to its rich medieval and Genoese past, offering a unique perspective on this classified site.