Cap Corse — Sentinels' Secret Code

Your quest begins at the Port de Macinaggio, built in the 19th century as a fishing port and natural harbor. Approximately 300 m long, it served as a base for customs officers monitoring smuggling in the 20th century and the starting point for hikes to Giraglia. It is here, on the quays where yachts and local fishermen dock, that Giacomo da Pietrasanta, a 15th-century Genoese podestat, is said to have overseen the first coastal defenses of the Rogliano peninsula. Augmented reality clues immerse you in the atmosphere of sea departures, revealing ancient maritime charts and secret trade routes of Cap Corse.

Continue towards the Tour d'Agnello, a masterpiece of Genoese engineering built around 1440. About 12 m high and constructed from local granite, it is typical of the 90 Corsican coastal towers of the 15th-16th centuries designed to defend the Rogliano peninsula against Barbary invasions. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1970 and restored in 1985 by French Historic Monuments, it is a testament to the defensive strategy of the era. By deciphering the symbols carved on its walls, you will discover the first enigmas of the sentinels' code.

The Sentier des Douaniers, traced in the 19th century by French customs to monitor illegal cabotage, leads you for about 1.5 km around Macinaggio. This coastal path, officially developed as a pedestrian trail in 1990 by the Corsica Regional Natural Park, offers breathtaking views of the Genoese watchtowers. Following in the footsteps of 20th-century customs officers, you cross landscapes that saw Antoine Mattei, a 19th-century local miller, transport his wheat. It is on this trail, a variant of the GR20, that augmented reality apparitions will guide you to the next stage of your investigation into Corsican heritage.

The Tour de Santa Maria della Chiapella, built in 1612 in Rogliano, stands proudly, named after the adjacent 16th-century chapel. 10 m high, it was once equipped with a cannon to signal enemy incursions by smoke or fire. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1984 and restored in 2005 with European funds, it represents an essential link in the surveillance network. Nearby, the Moulin Mattei, a 19th-century windmill built around 1840 by the Mattei family to grind local wheat, transformed into a museum site in 1992, illustrates daily life in Rogliano. These edifices are keys to understanding Corsica's resilience against threats.

Your journey will then take you to the Chapelle San Michele in Sisco, a 12th-century Romanesque chapel, rebuilt in the 17th century in the Corsican Baroque style and listed as a Historic Monument in 1988. Its 18th-century frescoes depicting the archangel slaying the dragon are an artistic testament to the island. Finally, the Tour de Sisco, erected in 1530 on the north coast of Cap Corse to protect against pirates, 11 m high, completed the fire signaling system. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1974 and restored in 2012, it is the last sentinel before the Phare de la Giraglia, built in 1848, which marks the northernmost point of Corsica. You will then have unlocked the Secret Code of the Sentinels, a complete immersion in the history of Cap Corse.