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CORSICA (Fr. Corse)

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Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 204 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CORSICA (Fr. See also:Corse)  , a large See also:island of the Mediterranean, forming a See also:department of See also:France . It is situated immediately to the See also:north of See also:Sardinia (from which it is separated by the narrow strait of See also:Bonifacio), between 410 21' and 430 N. and 8° 30' and 90 30' E . See also:Area, 3367 sq.m . Pop . (1906) 291,160 . See also:Corsica lies within 54 M . W. of the See also:coast of See also:Tuscany, 98 m . S. of See also:Genoa and io6 m . S.E. of the See also:French coast at See also:Nice . The extreme length of the island is 114 M. and its breadth 52 M . The greater See also:part of the See also:surface of Corsica is occupied by See also:forest-clad mountains, whose central See also:ridge describes a See also:curve from N.W. to S.W., presenting its convexity towards the E . Secondary chains diverge in all directions from this See also:main range, enclosing small basins both geographically and socially isolated; on the See also:west and.See also:south of the island they either terminate abruptly on the See also:shore or run out to a See also:great distance into the See also:sea, forming picturesque bays and gulfs, some of which afford excellent harbours .

The highest peaks are the Monts Cinto (8881 ft.), Rotondo (8612), Paglia Orba (8284), Padro (7851) and d'Oro (7845) . On the eastern See also:

side of the island, between See also:Bastia and See also:Porto Vecchio, there intervenes between the mountains and the sea a considerable See also:tract of See also:low and unhealthy, but fertile See also:country, and the coast is fringed in places by lagoons . See also:Geology.—Corsica may be divided into two parts, which are geologically distinct, by a See also:line See also:drawn from Belgodere through See also:Corte to the See also:east coast near Favone . West of this line the island is composed chiefly of See also:granite, with a large See also:mass of granophyres, See also:quartz porphyries and similar rocks forming the high mountains around Mt . Cinto; but between the Gulfs of Porto and Galeria, See also:schists, limestones and See also:anthracite, containing fossils of Upper Carboniferous See also:age, occur . The famous orbicular See also:diorite of Corsica is found near Sta . See also:Lucia-di-Tallano in the See also:arrondissement of Sartene . In the eastern part of the island the predominant rocks are schists of unknown age, with intrusive masses of See also:serpentine and euphotide . Folded amongst the schists are strips of Upper Carboniferous beds similar to those of the west coast . Overlying these more See also:ancient rocks are limestones with See also:Rhaetic and Liassic fossils, occurring in small patches at Oletta, Morosaglia, &c . Nummulitic See also:limestone of See also:Eocene age is found near St Florent, and occupies several large basins near the boundary between the granite and the schist . See also:Miocene molasse with Clypeaster, &c., forms the See also:plain of Aleria on the east coast, and occurs also at St Florent in the north and Bonifacio in the south .

A small patch of See also:

Pliocene has been found near Aleria . The caves of Corsica, especially in the neighbourhood of Bastia, contain numerous mammalian remains, the commonest of which belong to Lagomys corsicanus, Cuv . See Hollande, " Geologie de la See also:Corse," See also:Ann. sci. geol., vol. ix . (1877); Nentien, " Etudes sur See also:les gites mineraux de la Corse," Ann . Mines See also:Paris, See also:ser . 9, vol. xii. pp . 231-296, pl . V . (1897) . Corsica is well watered by See also:rivers and torrents, which, though See also:short in their course, bring down large volumes of See also:water from the mountains . The longest is the Golo, which rises in the See also:pastoral region of Niolo, isolated among the mountains to the west of Corte and inhabited by a distinct See also:population of obscure origin . It enters the sea on the east coast to the south of the See also:salt-water See also:lake of Biguglia; farther south, on the same side of the island, is the Tavignano, while on the west there are the Liamone, the Gravone and the Taravo .

The other streams are all comparatively small . Owing to the rugged and indented outline of the western coast there are an unusual number of bays and harbours . Of the bays the most important are199' Porto, Sagone, See also:

Ajaccio and Valinco; of the ports, St Florent (See also:San Fiorenzo), Ile Rousse (Isola Rossa), See also:Calvi, Ajaccio and Propriano . On the eastern side, which is much less rugged and broken, the only harbours See also:worth mentioning are those of Bastia and Porto Vecchio (the See also:Portus Syracusanus of the ancients), and the only gulfs those of Porto Vecchio and See also:Santa Manza . At the extreme south are the See also:harbour and See also:town .of Bonifacio, giving name to the strait which separates Corsica from Sardinia . The See also:climate of the island ranges from warmth in the low-lands to extreme rigour in the mountains . The intermediate region is the most temperate and healthy . The mean See also:annual temperature at Ajaccio is 63° F . The dominant winds are those from the south-west and south-east . There are mines of anthracite, See also:antimony and See also:copper; the island produces granite, See also:building See also:stone, See also:marble, and See also:amianthus, and there are salt marshes . Among other places Guagno, Pardina Guitera, and Orezza have See also:mineral springs . The See also:agriculture of Corsica suffers from scarcity of labour, due partly to the apathy of the inhabitants, and from scarcity of See also:capital .

The cultivation of cereals, despite the fertility of the See also:

soil, is neglected; See also:wheat is grown to some extent, but in this respect, the population is dependent to a large degree on outside supplies . The culture of See also:fruit, especially of the See also:vine, cedrates, citrons and See also:olives (for which the Balagne region, in the north-west, is noted), of vegetables and of See also:tobacco, and See also:sheep and See also:goat rearing are the main rural See also:industries, to which may be added the rearing of See also:silk-See also:worms . The exploitation of the See also:fine forests, which contain the well-known Corsican See also:pine, beeches, oaks and chestnuts, is also an important resource, but tends to proceed too rapidly . Chestnuts are exported, and, ground into See also:flour, are used as See also:food by the mountaineers . Most of the inhabitants are proprietors of See also:land, but often the properties are so split up that many See also:hours, or even a whole See also:day, are spent in going from the vineyard or See also:olive See also:plantation to the arable land in the plain or the See also:chestnut-See also:wood in the See also:mountain . A great part of the agricultural labour is performed by labourers from Tuscany and See also:Lucca, who periodically visit the island for that purpose . Sheep of a See also:peculiar breed, resembling See also:chamois and known as mouflons, inhabit the more inaccessible parts of the mountains . The uncultivated districts are generally overgrown with a thick tangled underwood, consisting of arbutus, See also:myrtle, See also:thorn, See also:laurel See also:broom and other fragrant shrubs, and known as the maquis, the fragrance of which can be distinguished even from the sea . Fishing and See also:shooting are allowed almost everywhere to the possessor of a See also:government See also:licence; See also:special permission, where it is necessary, is easily obtained . See also:Wild boars, stags, in the eastern districts, and See also:hares as well as the See also:mouflon are found, while partridges, See also:quail, See also:woodcock, wild See also:duck and water-See also:fowl are abundant . See also:Trout and eels are the See also:chief See also:fish . The flesh of the Corsican See also:blackbird is considered a delicacy .

The See also:

fisheries of See also:tunny, See also:pilchard and See also:anchovy are extensively prosecuted for the See also:supply of the See also:Italian markets; but comparatively few of the natives are engaged in this See also:industry . The Corsican is See also:simple and sober but unenterprising; dignified and proud, he is possessed of a native See also:courtesy, manifested in his hospitality to strangers, the refusal of which is much resented . He is, however, implacable towards his own countrymen when his enmity is once aroused, and the practice of the See also:blood-See also:feud or See also:vendetta has not died out . Each individual is attached to some powerful See also:family, and the See also:influence of this usage is specially marked in politics, the individual voting with his See also:clan on See also:pain of arousing the vindictiveness of his See also:fellow-members . Another dominant See also:factor in social See also:life in Corsica is the almost universal ambition on the part of the natives towards an See also:official career, a tendency from which See also:commerce and agriculture inevitably suffer . The manufactures of the island are of small importance . They include the extraction of gallic See also:acid from chestnut-bark, the preparation of preserved citrons and other delicacies, and of See also:macaroni and similar foods and the manufacture of See also:fancy goods and cigars . The chief ports are Bastia, Ajaccio and Ile Rousse . A railway runs from Bastia to Ajaccio with branches to Calvi and Ghisonaccia, but, in See also:general, lack of means of communication as well as of capital are a barrier to commercial activity . In 1905 imports reached a value of £113,000 . The chief were tobacco, See also:furniture and wooden goods, See also:wine, cereals, See also:coal, See also:cheese and See also:bran . Exports were valued at £336,000, and included chestnut-See also:extract, See also:charcoal, See also:timber, citrons and other fruits, seeds, casks, skins, chestnuts and tanning bark .

Corsica is divided into five arrondissements (chief towns—Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi, Corte and Sartene), with 62 cantons and 364 communes . It forms part of the See also:

academic (educational circumscription) and archiepiscopal See also:province of See also:Aix (Bouches-du-See also:Rhone) and of the region of the XV. See also:army See also:corps . The See also:principal towns are Ajaccio, the capital and the seat of the See also:bishop of the island and of the See also:prefect; Bastia, the seat of the See also:court of See also:appeal and of the military See also:commander; Calvi, Corte and Bonifacio . Other places of See also:interest are St .Florent, near which stand the ruins of the See also:cathedral (12th See also:century) of the vanished town of Nebbio; Murato, which has a See also:church (12th or 13th century) of See also:Pisan See also:architecture, which is exemplified in other Corsican churches; and Cargese, where there is a See also:Greek See also:colony, dating from the 17th century . Near Lucciana are the ruins of a fine Romanesque church called La Canonica . Megalithic monuments are numerous, chief among them being the dolmen of Fontanaccia in the arrondissement of Sartene . See also:History.—The earliest inhabitants of Corsica were probably Ligurian . The Phocaeans of See also:Ionia were the first civilized See also:people to establish settlements there . About 56o B.C. they landed in the island and founded the town of Alalia . By the end of the 6th century, however, their See also:power had dwindled before that of the Etruscans, who were in their turn driven out by the Carthaginians . The latter were followed by the See also:Romans, who gained a footing in the island at the See also:time of the First Punic See also:War, but did not establish themselves there till the See also:middle of the 2nd century B.C . Both See also:Marius and See also:Sulla founded colonies—the one' at See also:Mariana (near Lucciana) in 104, the second at Aleria in 88 .

In the See also:

early centuries of the See also:Christian era Corsica formed one of the senatorial provinces of the See also:Empire, but though it was in continuous commercial communication with See also:Italy, it was better known as a See also:place of banishment for See also:political offenders . One of the most distinguished of those was the younger See also:Seneca, who spent in See also:exile there the eight years ending A.D . 49 . During the break-up of the See also:Roman empire in the West the See also:possession of Corsica was for a while disputed between the See also:Vandals and the See also:Gothic See also:allies of the Roman emperors, until in 469 Genseric finally made himself See also:master of the island . For 65 years the Vandals maintained their domination, the Corsican forests supplying the wood for the fleets with which they terrorized the Mediterranean . After the destruction of the Vandal power in See also:Africa by See also:Belisarius, his See also:lieutenant See also:Cyril conquered Corsica (534) which now, under the exarchate of Africa, became part of the East Roman empire . The succeeding See also:period was one of great misery . Goths and See also:Lombards in turn ravaged the island, which in spite of the prayers of See also:Pope See also:Gregory the Great ' the See also:exarch of Africa did nothing to defend; the See also:rule of the Byzantines was effective only in grinding excessive taxes out of the wretched population; and, to See also:crown all, in 713 the Mussulmans from the See also:northern coast of Africa made their first descent upon the island . Corsica remained nominally attached to the East Roman empire until See also:Charlemagne, having overthrown the Lombard power in Italy (774), proceeded to the See also:conquest of the island, which now passed into the hands of the See also:Franks . In 8o6, however, occurred the first of a See also:series of Moorish incursions from See also:Spain . Several times defeated by the See also:emperor's lieutenants, the See also:Moors continually returned, and in 810 gained temporary possession of the island . They were crushed and exterminated by an expedition under the emperor's son See also:Charles, but none the less returned again and again .

In 828 the See also:

defence of Corsica was entrusted to See also:Boniface II., See also:count of the Tuscan See also:march, who conducted a successful expedition against the See also:African Mussulmans, and returning to Corsica built a fortress in the south of the island which formed the See also:nucleus of the town (Bonifacio) that bears his name . Boniface's war against the See also:Saracens was continued by his son See also:Adalbert, after he had been restored to his See also:father's dignities in 846; but, in spite of all efforts, the Mussulmans seem to have remained in possession of part of the island until about'93o . Corsica, of which Berengar II., See also:king of Italy, had made himself master, became in 962, after his dethronement by See also:Otto the Great, a place of See also:refuge for his son Adalbert, who succeeded in holding the island and in passing it on to his son, another Adalbert . This latter was, however, defeated by the forces of Otto II., and Corsica was once more attached to the marquisate of Tuscany, of which Adalbert was allowed to hold part of the island in See also:fee . The period of feudal anarchy now began, a general mellay of See also:petty lords each eager to expand his domain . The See also:counts of Cinarca, especially, said to be descended from Adalbert, aimed at establishing their supremacy over the whole island . To counteract this and similar ambitions, in the 11th century, a sort of See also:national See also:diet was held, and Sambucuccio, See also:lord of Alando, put himself at the See also:head of a See also:movement which resulted in confining the feudal lords to less than See also:half of the island to the south, and in establishing in the See also:rest, henceforth known as the Terra di Comune, a sort of See also:republic composed of autonomous parishes . This See also:system, which survived till the Revolution, is thus described by See also:Jacobi (tom. i. p . 137) . " Each See also:parish or See also:commune nominated a certain number of councillors who, under the name of ` fathers of the commune,' were charged with the See also:administration of See also:justice under the direction of a podestd, who was as it were their See also:president . The podestas of each of the states or enfranchised districts See also:chose a member of the supreme See also:council charged with the making of See also:laws and regulations for the Terra di Comune . This council or magistracy was called the Twelve, from the number of districts taking a See also:share in its nomination .

Finally, in each See also:

district the fathers of the commune elected a See also:magistrate who, under the name of caporale, was entrusted with the defence of the interests of the poor and weak, with seeing that justice was done to them, and that they were not made the victims of the powerful and See also:rich." Meanwhile the south remained under the sway of the counts of Cinarca, while in the north feudal barons maintained their See also:independence in the promontory of Cape Corso . See also:Internal feuds continued; See also:William, See also:marquis of See also:Massa, of the family known later as the Malaspina, was called in by the communes (1020), drove out the count of Cinarca, reduced the barons to See also:order, and in See also:harmony with the communes established a dominion which he was able to See also:hand on to his son . Towards the end of the 11th century, however, the popes laid claim to the island in virtue of the donation of Charlemagne, though the Frankish conqueror had promised at most the reversion of the lands of the Church . The Corsican See also:clergy sup-ported the claim, and in 1077 the Corsicans declared themselves subjects of the See also:Holy See in the presence of the apostolic See also:legate Landolfo, bishop of See also:Pisa . Pope Gregory VII. thereupon invested the bishop and his successors with the island, an See also:investiture confirmed by See also:Urban II. in 1190 and extended into a concession of the full See also:sovereignty . The Pisans now took See also:solemn possession of the island and their " See also:grand See also:judges " (judices) took the place of the papal legates . Corsica, valued by the Pisans as by Rule of for their See also:fleet, flourished exceedingly under the en- lightened rule of the great commercial republic . Causes of dissension remained, however, abundant . The Corsican bishops repented their subjection to the Pisan See also:archbishop; the Genoese intrigued at See also:Rome to obtain a reversal of the papal See also:gift to the rivals with whom they were disputing the supremacy of the seas . Successive popes followed conflicting policies in this respect; until in 1138 See also:Innocent II., by way of See also:compromise, divided the ecclesiastical See also:jurisdiction of the island between the archbishops of Pisa and Genoa . This gave the Genoese great influence in Corsica, and the contest between the Pisans and Genoese began to distract the island . It was not, however, till 1195 that the Genoese, by capturing Bonifacio—a See also:nest of pirates preying on the The Terra di Commune .

Papal sovereignty . the Vandals as an inexhaustible storehouse of materials Pisa commerce of both republics—actually gained a footing in the country . For twenty years the Pisans fought to recover the fortress for themselves, until in 1217 the pope settled the See also:

matter by taking it into his own hands . Throughout the 13th century the struggle between Pisans and Genoese continued, reproducing in the island the feud of Ghibellines and Guelphs that was desolating Italy . In order to put a stop to the ruinous anarchy the chiefs of the Terra di Comune called in the marquis See also:Isnard Malaspina; the Pisans set up the count of Cinarca once more; and the war between the marquis, the Pisans and Genoese dragged on with varying fortunes, neither succeeding in gaining the mastery . Then, in 1298, Pope Boniface VIII. added to the complication by investing King See also:James of See also:Aragon with the sovereignty of Corsica and of Sardinia . - In 1325, after See also:long delay, the Aragonese attacked and reduced Sardinia, with the result that the Pisans, their sea-power shattered, were unable to hold their own in Corsica . A fresh period of anarchy followed until, in 1347, a great See also:assembly of caporali and barons decided to offer the sovereignty of the island to Genoa . A See also:regular See also:tribute was to be paid to the re-public; the Corsicans were to preserve their laws and customs, under the council of Twelve in the north and a council of Six in the south; Corsican interests were to be represented at Genoa by an orator . The Genoese domination, which began under evil auspices— for the See also:Black See also:Death killed off some two-thirds of the population— was not destined to bring See also:peace to the island . The Genoese feudal barons of the south and the hereditary caporali domina- tion. of the north alike resisted the authority of the Genoese See also:governors; and King See also:Peter of Aragon took See also:advantage of their feuds to reassert his claims . In 1372 Arrigo, count of La Rocca, with the assistance of Aragonese troops, made himself master of the island; but his very success stirred up against him the barons of Cape Corso, who once more appealed to Genoa .

The republic, busied with other affairs, See also:

hit upon the luckless expedient of investing with the governorship of the island a :sort of chartered See also:company, consisting of five persons, known as the See also:Manna . They attempted to restore order by taking Arrigo della Rocca into See also:partnership, with disastrous results . In 1380 four of the " governors of the Maona " resigned their rights to the Genoese republic, and Leonello Lomellino was See also:left as See also:sole See also:governor . It was he who, in 1383, built Bastia on the north coast, which became the See also:bulwark of the Genoese power in the island . It was not till 1401, after the death of Count Arrigo, that the Genoese domination was temporarily re-established . Meanwhile Genoa itself had fallen into the hands of the French, and in 1407 Leonello Lomellino returned as governor with the See also:title of count of Corsica bestowed on him by Charles VI. of France . But Vincentello d' See also:Istria, who had gained distinction in the service of the king of Aragon, had captured Cinarca, rallied See also:round him all the communes of the Terra di Comune, proclaimed him-self count of Corsica at Biguglia and even seized Bastia . Lomellino was unable to make headway against him, and by 1410 all Corsica, with the exception of Bonifacio and Calvi, was lost to Genoa, now once more See also:independent of France . A feud of Vincentello with the bishop of Mariana, however, led to the loss of his authority in the Terra di Comune; he was compelled to go to Spain in See also:search of assistance, and in his See also:absence the Genoese reconquered the island . Not, however, for long . The Great See also:Schism was too obvious an opportunity for quarrelling for the Corsicans to neglect; and the Corsican bishops and clergy were more ready with the carnal than with spiritual weapons . The suffragans of Genoa fought for See also:Benedict XIII., those of Pisa for See also:John See also:XXIII.; and when Vincentello returned with an Aragonese force he was able to fish profitably in troubled See also:waters .

He easily captured Cinarca and Ajaccio, came to terms with the Pisan bishops, mastered the Terra di Comune and built a strong See also:

castle at Corte; by 1419 the Genoese possessions in Corsica were again reduced to Calvi and Bonifacio . At this juncture See also:Alphonso of Aragon arrived, with a large fleet, to take possession of the island . Calvi See also:fell to him; but Bonifacio held out, and its resistance gave time for the Corsicans, aroused by the tyranny and exactions of the Aragonese, to organize revolt . In the end the See also:siege of Bonifacio was raised, and the town, confirmed in its privileges, became practically an independent republic tt°nese under Genoese See also:protection . As for Vincentello he vention., managed to hold his own for a while; but ultimately the country