Forest Road From Belgodere to the Forest of Tartagine
From Belgodere, Route Forestière, No. 3, leads down to the small port of Losari, 6 miles N. from Belgodere and 4½ E. from the Ile Rousse. A continuation of the same route southward extends to the bridge across the Tartagine, 2355 feet, 25 miles from the Ile Rousse, in the great forest of Tartagine. It passes the Bocca Campana, 2782 feet, 3¼ miles from Belgodere; the Bocca Croce, 3045 feet, the culminating part of the road, 7 miles from Belgodere; and 2½ miles farther, the hamlets of Olmi and Capella, 9 miles from Speloncato; with ever-varying mountain and village scenes among great forests; 20 m. from Belgodere is the Pont Tartagine in the forest of that name. The forest of Tartagine, enclosed within the high crests of the Capo Dente 6667 ft. on the west, and of Mt. Padro on the east, measures 7166 acres, and contains principally the Pinus laricio and the P. pinaster, intermingled with ilexes or evergreen oaks (p. 41).
“Olmi-Capella 2723 ft. is in an open airy situation, commanding fine views of the mountains to the S. and S.W., and protected to some extent on the N. and N.W. by the ridge which sweeps round to the head of the Tartagine valley. This ridge, though in the neighbourhood of the village only about 1000 ft. above the sloping plateau on which it is built, rises to the W. into the peaks of Monte Tolo 4370 ft., Monte San Parteo 5512 ft., Monte Cineraggia 5286 ft., Monte Grosso 6227 ft., Punta Radiche 6595 ft., Capo al Dente 6667 ft., and Monte Corona 7031 ft. The N. slope of this ridge is very steep, and commands most magnificent views of the Haute Balagne and the sea beyond, whilst it is traversed by numerous passes which afford charming scenery. Besides the route forestière, which crosses the Col de Bocca Croce 3048 ft., and by which the timber of the forest of Tartagine is conveyed to Ile Rousse for shipment, several mule-paths connect Olmi Capella much more directly with Ville and Speloncato by the Bocca Battaglia 3550 ft., and Bocca Croce d’Ovo 3629 feet; with Feliceto by the Bocca Pianile 5033 ft.; with Zilia and Calvi by the Bocca di Cineraggia 4698 ft.; with Calenzana by the Bocca Bianca 6155 ft., with Calenzana or the Val Ficarella by the Bocca di Tartagine 6093 ft.; and with the head of the valley of Asco by the Bocca de l’Ondella 6086 ft.”—F. F. Tuckett, Alpine Club.
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CORTÉ
28¾ 32¼ PALASCA pop. 550. Situated lower down than the high road and the last village on this side of the
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CORTÉ
31½ 29½ COL DE SAN COLOMBANO 2625 feet above the sea. The view though more vast is less distinct, presenting a succession of mountain-tops, between which are dimly seen valleys with the sea in the distance. The diligence now descends into the narrow, rocky vale of the Navaccia, an affluent of the Tartagine, which enters the Golo a little above the important bridge called the Ponte alla Leccia.
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CORTÉ
46¾ 14¼ PONTE ALLA LECCIA. Inn at station. Here take rail for Corté (see p. 8) or for Bastia, 29 miles N.E. (see p. 10). The Ponte Nuovo is distinctly seen from the station. The two small houses near the railway bridge, on the S. side of the Golo, were Paoli’s headquarters during the battle (see pp. 9 and 39).
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