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Origin and history

The Genoese tower of the Giraglia is a military building built on a schistose island located 1.34 km north-east of Cap Corse, near the village of Barcaggio (commune of Ersa). This high 9.6 hectare rock, culminating at 66 meters, occupied a strategic position in the Mediterranean, controlling the maritime routes between the Ligurian Sea and the Gulf of Genoa. The island, once a coral fishing centre, now houses an ecosystem protected by Natura 2000, including a rare flora and fauna (birds, reptiles, amphibians).

The decision to build the tower was taken in 1582 by the Cap-corsin lord Don Cristofaro Tagliacarne and Genoese governor Stefano Passano, with the agreement of the inhabitants. The works, led by architect Domenico Pelo, started in 1583 but encountered logistical difficulties linked to the isolation of the island. Despite delays in the delivery of materials from Bastia, the tower was almost completed in December 1584. Total cost: 9 311 lire, reimbursed to Tagliacarne in 1585. The tower, square and equipped with three levels plus a crenelated terrace, was guarded by a chief, three soldiers (including a bomber) and a refueller.

The tower is part of the genoese defensive network of the late 16th century, designed to protect Corsica from barbaric incursions and enemy fleets. In the 18th century, Napoleon I added a coastal battery to counter British attacks on Corsica-Provence maritime links. In 1839, a lighthouse was built on the island, automated since then. The tower, owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 2008. Its typical architecture (central pillar, guardiola) makes it a rare testimony of genoese fortifications in Corsica.

The Giraglia island also contains religious remains (San Pasquale Chapel, Santa Maria Oratory) and a Roman wreck discovered in 1988, searched between 1994 and 1999. Today, the island is a Natura 2000 site, which is not allowed to preserve its biodiversity, while remaining an emblematic maritime landmark, marked by the Giraglia-Rolex Cup, an international regatta created in 1953.

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