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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Grotta Scritta is a major archaeological site located at 470 m above sea level, near the chapel San Roccup in Olmeta-di-Capocorso, in Upper Corsica. It houses parietal paintings dated from the Bronze Age (c. 1800 BC), the only discoveries to date in Corsica. These red-ocre representations, including two anthropomorphic motifs among eight petroglyphs, remain partially indecipherable. The site, which is poorly protected, suffers progressive degradation due to weather and lack of adequate conservation measures.

The prehistoric context of the region reveals an ancient human occupation, as evidenced by the neolithic tools (haches, jasper arrow tips) found in Cape Corsica and its surroundings. The cave, located in a wild valley dominated by schistose and ophiolitic reliefs, was probably a symbolic or ritual place for local communities. Its geographical isolation, 1,200 m northwest of the San Roccu Chapel, suggests limited use to small groups, possibly linked to specific cultural or religious practices.

The Grotta Scritta was listed in the Historic Monuments by order of 7 April 2014, including in its protection the adjacent threshing area, a sheepfold and a rock shelter. This late ranking reflects a late awareness of its heritage value, while the site is one of the 40 rock art sites listed in Corsica. However, his study remains hampered by natural erosion and the absence of extensive archaeological excavations, leaving many of his unsolved mysteries.

Olmeta-di-Capocorso, where the cave is located, was in the Prehistory an area of passage and exchange, as evidenced by the traces of metallurgical activities (forges abandoned in the 15th century to the Negru Navy) and the polished stone tools. The valley, rich in mineral resources (iron, serpentinites), provided a framework for the settlement of sedentary or semi-nomadic communities, although the direct remains of these occupations remain rare outside the Grotta Scritta.

Today, the site is owned by the municipality of Olmeta-di-Capocorso, but its access remains difficult and little reported, limiting its tourist use. The paintings, exposed to climatic variations and the moisture of the shale walls, would require urgent intervention for their preservation. Their style and iconography, unique in Corsica, nevertheless make it an exceptional testimony of the protohistoric Mediterranean cultures, still poorly known on the island.

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