The mythical port of Bastia |
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Collection title
Mythical ports of the Mediterranean
First broadcast date
2009
Abstract
The old port of Bastia, a city founded by the Genoese, is a colorful oasis with peppery flavors.
The sea here is regarded with respect, fascination and humor.
Northeast of Corsica, the port is a historic opening over Tuscany, France and the Maghreb.
Locals obeying immutable rites and fishermen in decline replaced by boaters can see the seasons scroll, while the clock sweeps out nostalgia.
Production companies
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COPEAM - Coproduction
- France Bleu Frequenza Mora - Coproduction
Primary theme
Main harbours
Credits / Cast
- Luciani Jean-Paul - Journalist
Map locations
- France - Corsica - Bastia
Context
The mythical port of Bastia
Gilbert Buti
Bastia was created by the Genoese governor Leonello Lomellini who needed a fortified place on the north-east coast of Corsica, at Terra Vecchia, to keep an eye on the maritime traffic down the eastern side of the island. That is what the squat tower or bastiglia is for, built in 1380 on a rocky promontory above the small port of Cardo. This tower gave its name to the little city which was the only point on the coast where one could remain in sight sailing to the Italian coast. Surrounded by walls in 1476, the small fortified town with less than a hundred inhabitants, became the seat of the governor of Corsica and then of a bishop in 1570 and received, in 1637 the title of Capitale del regno de Corsica – by this time it had a population of almost 2,000.
A political, military and relgious centre (churches and convents), the town developed around the small port which was used by the owners of boats from Cap Corse and Liguria, as well as by Neapolitan fishermen. If Genoa controlled financial activities, the people of Bastia controlled their own taxes on commercial transations, such as the gabella (on port entries and exits) or the scuto al botte (on barrels of wine) and gradually dominated the island's merchant activities. They also turned to farming, to diversify their income, particularly wine-making, and short-distance sailing from coast to coast to distribute Cap Corse wines to the towns of Liguria and Tuscany in exchange for manufactured goods. Its position on the Tyrrhenian Sea made it of considerable strategic importance. Although part of the urban middle-class complained about Genoa's domination, the town was not spared the effects of European rivalry: in 1745-46 it was taken by the English, then besieged by the Piedmontese, taken by the French in 1769 and blockaded by the English in 1794.
Corsica's main port in the 19th century, Bastia, which had small naval shipyards, had only a small commercial activity despite the presence of merchants and ship-owners, like Count Valery. All the same, during the second half of the century trade picked up and as a result first the Dragon jetty was built (1860) and then the new port in the St Nicolas pool (1880); these improvements however did not prevent disasters, with several ships being wrecked, including the Louise. The port records show a great deal of short-distance sailing dominated by Tartanes, which distributed and redistributed local produce – wine, cereal, myrtle [used in a local drink], textiles – the Ecole d'hydrographie created masters, managers and captains who were then able to find work with the trading companies based in Marseilles and Genoa.
The improvement of the port space continued in the 20th century: with its lighthouse, its quays and docks. The commercial port became a passenger port as well, thanks to the increase in Mediterranean tourism-- with car ferries coming from Marseille, Toulon, Genoa and Livorno. Fishing played an important role in the middle of the 20th century, with nearly 150 fishing boast registered, though currently it is going through difficult times, confirmed by the large drop in the amount of fish landed, while the number of visiting pleasure boats is rising. Since the end of the Second World War Bastia, like Ajaccio, has doubled its population (nearly 45,000). In 1976 the island was divided into two departments, so now Bastia is once again a prefecture (withdrawn in 1811). The town's infrastructure changed enormously in 1983 with the opening of a tunnel passing underneath the two main elements of its history: the old port and the citadelle.
Bibliography:
Michel Vergé-Franceschi, Histoire de Corse, Paris, Éditions du Félin, 1996.
Antoine-Laurent Serpentini (sous direction), Dictionnaire historique de la Corse, Ajaccio, Albiana, 2006.
Collectif, Bastia. Regards sur son passé, Paris, Berger-Levrault, 1983.
