Col de Bavella — Uncover the Lost Shepherd Dynasty

Your journey begins at the Col de Bavella, at an altitude of 1,218 meters, one of Corsica's four great passes. Here stands the statue of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, whose presence has been attested since 1952 by Antoine Brondi. This pass, renowned as the island's most arduous on its eastern slope with 7.4 km at an average of 9%, serves as a gateway to exploring Corsican pastoral transhumance. The site, classified among Corsica's picturesque sites on March 17, 1954, offers you a panorama of the Bavella Massif, a privileged witness to the shepherds' history.

Venturing west of the pass, you discover the Aiguilles de Bavella, jagged rock formations also known as the Aiguilles d'Asinao. These peaks, with the Incudine massif in the background, constitute one of Southern Corsica's two major scenic highlights, classified as picturesque sites in 1954. They illustrate the richness of the island's mountain forms and recall the grandeur of the landscapes that marked the lives of the Conca shepherds, whose history is etched into these ancient rocks.

The route then leads you to the village of Bavella, an ancient shepherds' village located on the eastern slope of the massif. Historically occupied by the Conca shepherds during summer transhumance, as attested by the Blondel Convention of August 31, 1851, this place saw the commune of Conca acquire about ten hectares in 1972 to preserve its heritage. The surviving historical sheepfolds, where men and flocks found refuge, immerse you in the daily life of this Corsican mountain heritage, long before the GR20 became an emblematic hiking trail.

Continuing your immersion in the Alta Rocca, you follow the Haute vallée de la Solenzara, flanked by the Cuscionu plateau and the Col de Bavella. This valley, crossed by the road connecting Sari-Solenzara to Zonza, presents a landscape shaped by glacial erosion during the Quaternary periods. This natural process also gave rise to the Cuscionu plateau, a unique high plateau in Corsica and the other major scenic highlight of Southern Corsica. These panoramas illustrate the power of nature that influenced the lifestyles of pastoral communities.

Your exploration of the secrets of Corsican shepherds concludes with a deeper understanding of the Bavella Massif, a set of reliefs connecting Sari-Solenzara to Zonza. This thematic circuit allowed you to walk in the footsteps of transhumant people since the 19th century, from the statue of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges at 1218m altitude to the historical sheepfolds. You carry with you the image of a living heritage, where every stone, every path of the Corsica Regional Natural Park tells a story of resilience and adaptation. This GPS treasure hunt offered you an interactive visit to the history of Bavella, revealing often overlooked aspects of Corsican mountain heritage.