Sartène to Corté by Vivario27
Up the Centre of the Island. Maps, pp. 1 and
This grand mountain road, No. 196 bis, extends from Sartène, 73 m. N. to the Ajaccio and Corté road, which it joins at the 60 kilometres-stone, on the Col Serra, ½ mile from Vivario. All the diligences between Ajaccio and Corté halt at the inn of Vivario (p. 8).
After leaving Sartène the road crosses the Fiumicicoli and ascends the valley of the Rizzanese to Loreto, 12 m., and Cargiaca 15 m. N. from Sartène 1302 ft.; grand view. Near Loreto is S. Lucia di Tallano, 1270 ft., with a quarry of a beautiful amphibole, a variety of hornblende. The ground colour is grayish blue sprinkled with white and margined with black spots (see p. 37).
From Cargiaca the road enters the valley of the Coscione and ascends through the ilex forest of Taca amidst towering mountains and vertical cliffs by the villages of Zerubia and Aullene, 2736 ft., pop. 1100; inn; 21 m. N. from Sartène. It now crosses the Coscione, 3492 ft., then the Col Vaccia, 3898 ft., and descends by the Col d’Alisandri, 3426 ft., to Zicavo, 2445 ft., with an inn, 17 m. from Aullene, 3½ m. E. from the baths of Guitera, 38 m. N. from Sartène and 37 m. S. from Vivario.
From the Bocca Tinzole a road ramifies N.W. to Olivese 1460 ft., pop. 700, in the valley of the Taravo, 7 m. from Guitera by a beautiful road.
From Zicavo the road crosses the Col San Francesco, 1969 ft., to Cozzano, 40 m., pop. 900, and enters the valley of the Taravo, which it ascends by the east bank between two great mountain chains, the culminating point of the western chain being Mt. Don Giovanni 6405 ft., and that of the eastern Pointe Capella 6706 ft.
Three and a quarter miles up the valley from Cozzano a wheel road leads 1½ m. E. to the Maison Forestière of St. Antoine, whence a mule path by the Col de Rapara, 5557 ft., extends to Isolaccio and the hot baths of Pietrapola, p. 8, by a picturesque road through a beautiful part of the forest.
Four and a half miles above Cozzano is the Col Scrivano, 2959 ft., whence a mule path leads across the valley to Palneca, pop. 1050, on the wooded slopes of Mt. Pietra Cinta, 4958 ft.
A little below the summit of the Col is the Maison de Cantonniers de Scrivano.
Nine and a half miles N. from Zicavo is the bridge Argentuccia, fronting a grand semi-circle of mountains covered with noble trees. This is the commencement of the real Verde forest.
Eleven and three quarter miles from Zicavo is the Maison de Cantonniers de Ghiraldino, 3936 ft., 49 m. N. from Sartène, 2 m. S. from the Col Verde and 5 m. S. from the House of Refuge of Marmano. A little beyond the house a wheel road, left, descends into one of the finest parts of the Verde forest.
Thirteen and three quarter miles from Zicavo and 51 m. from Sartène is the Col Verde, 4290 ft., with, nearly a mile distant, the Maison de Cantonniers de Marmano. Below is the forest of Marmano, with its best trees cut down, and in the neighbourhood the sources of the rivers Taravo, 5678 ft., at the Col Tisina, of the Fium Orbo, 3783 ft. under a mountain a little to the N. of the Col Verde, and of the Prunelli, 4790 ft., among a group of high mountains to the W. The Vecchio rises from the springs on Mt. Oro.
Refuge de Marmano.
Seventeen miles from Zicavo and 54 m. from Sartène is the Refuge de Marmano, 3182 ft., beautifully situated. Here was formerly the summer station of the Casabianda penitentiary. The escaped criminals committed such outrages that the government at the repeated petitioning of the shepherds were obliged to withdraw it. Finally Casabianda was abandoned also, and the prisoners removed to the neighbourhood of Ajaccio, where they could be well looked after.
Food and lodging may be obtained at the Maison Forestière, or 1¼ m. farther at the Maison de Cantonniers de Canareccia, 2760 ft., in the rocky defile of the Fium Orbo. Between this and Ghisoni, 6 m., 3 bridges and 2 low Cols are crossed. At the second bridge, the Pont de Casso, 4½ m. from Ghisoni, are seen the great pinnacles or needles and lofty cliffs of Albuccia Point or Kyrie Eleison, 4935 ft.
From the Canaraccia the road winds its way northward along the flanks of mountains sloping down to the Orbo, which it leaves shortly before reaching
Ghisoni, pop. 1740, 2160 ft., 62 m. N. from Sartène, 12 m. S. from Vivario, 8 m. N. from the House of Refuge, and 24 m. N. from Zicavo. Four m. N. from Ghisoni the road crosses the Col Scozzolatojo, 3916 ft., and 2 m. farther the Col Sorba, 4310 ft., 6 m. S. from Vivario, see p. 8. The descent from the Col Sorba into Vivario is very striking. It is effected by excessively sharp zigzags through a noble pine forest. Between the branches tower the bold forms of Monte d’Oro, Monte Rotondo, and, in the distance, behind the uplands of Corté, the crags of Monte Traunato.
The best resting-places on this road are Zicavo, 39 m. S.E. from Ajaccio, from which it is approached by a diligence; and the pleasant village of Ghisoni, where there is a very fair inn. At Vivario there is the Hotel Voyageurs. Guides and carriages should be hired either at Sartène or Vivario, 20 frs. per day.