Corsica (France)
For many is Corsicathe holiday island par excellence. Here guests will find extensive beaches and multifaceted landscapes. But that’s far from all that Corsica has to offer. The island in the Mediterranean, which consists to a large extent of high mountains, is one of the 26Regions Of France. The neighboring country is Italy, from which the island is located to the west. Corsica is also the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean. Only Sicily are bigger,Sardinia and Cyprus.
Around 299,000 people live in Corsica. The capital of the French region is called Ajaccio. Corsica used to consist of just one department of the same name. In 1976 it was divided into two departments. These are called Corse-du-Sud and Haute-Corse.
Naming of Corsica
There are several stories and legends that surround the name of the island. The most popular theory is that the name Koriska, in French Corse, comes from the Phoenician term Korsai. This in turn means something like covered with forests. By the way, the Greeks called the island Kallistewhich translates as the beautiful.
Landscapes about the island of Corsica
A variety of landscapes extend over an area of 8,680 square kilometers. Here you will find bays, wonderful beaches, lots of green, forests and subtropical flair. The coast of the island has a length of over 1,000 kilometers and a third consists of pure sandy beach. The rest is rocky coast. The island of Corsica mainly consists of high mountain ranges. Only in the east is there a plain that is no more than 10 kilometers wide.
The Mediterranean Sea stretches around the island. In the north you can find the Ligurian Sea, the east and south are bounded by the Tyrrhenian Sea and the west by the western Mediterranean.
The French city of Nice is 180 kilometers from the island. The mainland of Italy is only 83 kilometers away. The island of Sardinia is even closer, with only 12 kilometers separating the individual islands.
The high mountains dominate the image of the island very much. Here over 50 mountains reach a height of more than 2,000 m, so the area is not only ideal for a swim, but also for hiking and climbing.
The history of Corsica
Scientists have found that the natives of Corsica were hunter-gatherers and lived until around 6000 BC. Populated the island. The Neolithic were a group of immigrants who quickly displaced the indigenous people from the island. They belonged to the impresso culture. The southern part of the island, on the other hand, was shaped by a multi-phase megalithic culture. This developed independently from the tribes living there around 3000 BC. Numerous menhirs were erected at this time. The Torreaner finally solved around 1800 BC. From the people living there. They also built numerous towers and left their mark. The Greeks came later to the island and took over the rule. Even vandals East Romans and the Goths were temporarily resident on the island.
Corsica was subordinate to the Roman popes until 1300. After that it was part of Genoa. However, the population did not live in peace with the Genoese government and so there were repeated uprisings until the island’s independence was finally proclaimed in 1755.
On April 15, 1736, the German adventurer Baron Theodor von Neuhoff was made King of Corsica by the Corsican rebels. He was ordained king in the monastery of Alesani in Castagniccia. King Theodore I of Corsica was the only king the island ever had.
Languedoc-Roussillon (France)
The Languedoc-Roussillon region is among the 26 Regions Of France. The departments of Aude, Gard, Herault and Pyrenees-Orientales are located directly on the Mediterranean Sea and are therefore also very popular as a holiday destination. The Massif Central runs through the Lozere department.
The entire region has an area of 27,376 square kilometers and around 2.3 million people live here. Montpellier is also known internationally as the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
The history of the Languedoc-Roussillon region
The Rhone Delta is believed to be the place in the region where the Neolithic culture first appeared. This must have happened between 7,000 and 6,500 BC. Have taken place. The culture, which was mainly carried by farmers, developed in the Rhone Valley and later also in the direction of essence.
Numerous testimonies were found from this period, especially in the form of Dolmens and menhirs. In addition, they found a great resemblance to the Sardinian complex of Sa Coveccada and the dolmen of Coste-Rouge.
Cambous is located 20 km from Montpellier and is a famous prehistoric place. Here you will find the oldest restored village in France. Its origin is said to be in the year 4,300 to 2,200 BC. In the Copper Age. At that time, the Fontbouisse culture was at home in this area. In total there are over 200 small villages of this type, but only about 20 percent have been archaeologically analyzed so far.
Most of the Languedoc-Roussillon region later came under the government of the French crown.
The crusades of Simon IV. De Montfort were known for their bloodthirstiness. In 1209, during one of these crusades, all (an estimated 20,000 residents) of the city of Beziers were murdered in a massacre. This was followed by the Minerve massacre, which was no less brutal. The Albigensian crusade lasted until 1212. The second crusade followed in 1226, which was led directly by the French king. He was already killed on his journey to the war zone and therefore never arrived at the scene of the fighting. The last crusade in 1244 wiped out the last survivors of the Cathar culture, ending a long tradition.
When the French regions were re-established in 1960, the Languedoc-Roussillon region also emerged. The limits set at that time have been retained to this day. In 1972 Languedoc-Roussillon received the status of the Etablissements public, which is subordinate to the management of a regional prefect.
Sights and culture in the Languedoc-Roussillon region
In the Languedoc-Roussillon region there are numerous interesting monuments and buildings from bygone times. The Center for Prehistory is recommended for visitors interested in culture. This is an extensive museum in Tautavel and offers the guest a fascinating impression. You travel back in time, so to speak, and discover new insights into regional history. In Meze there is an interesting dinosaur museum that not only amazes little guests.
The Languedoc-Roussillon area gained international fame for its cave worlds. A total of 15 of the impressive caves are open to tourism. Stalactite formations and great shapes and colors can be admired here. The rock formation, for example, which is reminiscent of soldiers, is particularly impressive. It is located in the Trabuc Cave and is called “The 100,000 Soldiers”.
