History of Corsica

The history of Corsica traces the island’s early communities, successive foreign and local regimes, and incorporation into modern France.

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Filitosa: A prehistoric archaeological site in southern Corsica, known for megalithic statues and towers. Its statue-menhir and tower remains illuminate Corsica’s prehistoric communities.
Republic of Genoa: A medieval and early modern maritime republic centered on the city of Genoa. Genoa governed Corsica for centuries and shaped its towns and institutions.
Sampiero Corso: A sixteenth-century Corsican military leader who fought Genoese rule with French support. His campaigns made him an early emblem of resistance to Genoa.
Constitution of Corsica (1755): The constitution adopted by Pasquale Paoli’s Corsican government during the island’s eighteenth-century revolution. It gave the short-lived republic a formal framework for self-government.
Sardinia: An island in the western Mediterranean, south of Corsica, that is part of Italy. Its distinct political trajectory offers a nearby comparison with Corsica’s French incorporation.
Torrean civilization: A Bronze Age culture in Corsica associated with fortified stone towers called torri. Torrean settlements mark a distinctive Bronze Age phase before Roman rule.
Crown of Aragon: A composite monarchy that ruled territories around the western Mediterranean from the Middle Ages onward. Aragonese claims and interventions challenged Genoese authority on Corsica.
Giacomo Casanova: An Italian adventurer and writer whose memoirs recount his eighteenth-century travels and encounters. His account records the island during the era of Paoli’s government.
Treaty of Versailles (1768): An agreement by which Genoa transferred its rights over Corsica to France as security for debts. It supplied the legal basis for France’s takeover before the island’s conquest.
Malta: A Mediterranean island country south of Sicily with a history of successive imperial rulers. Its strategic location produced a different path from Corsica’s integration into France.