Holidays in Sartene
Welcome to Sartene !
Sartene is a picturesque town with medieval roots situated a few kilometres from Propriano at 300m altitude in Corse-du-Sud. Overlooking the Gulf of Valinco, Sartene is a town with plenty of character – the author Prosper mérimée said it was the most Corsican of all the towns in Corsica ! It is also the largest commune in Corsica covering 200km² including 2,600 hectares of vines.
Sight-seeing in Sartene
Sartene is a splendid place with narrow streets of charming old houses, secret passages and tiny little squares to explore.
Head for the medieval district of Santa Anna with its church of Maria Assunta, Mairie (town hall in the old Genoese Governor’s Palace), bartizan (the last remaining part of the wall which surrounded the town in the 15th century) and Place de la Libération, a popular meeting place for locals.
Sartene is home to the Musée de la Préhistoire which has a rich collection of archaeological objects. Visitors interested in megalithic art will love the archaeological site at Cauria.
As far as celebrations and festivities go, the Carnaval de la Corse sets the ball rolling at the beginning of May, followed by Corsican chant concerts in the open-air theatre, street entertainment during late-night shopping, local markets and so on.
Round and about Sartène
Sartene and its surrounding area are a real paradise for lovers of the great outdoors. Go sailing, canyoning and diving in or on the azure blue sea and go walking along old mule tracks.
The waterside town of Propriano,
The Lion de Roccapina (rock shaped like a lion),
Bay of Roccapina and its magnificent beach,
Plateau du Cuscione in Haut Taravo (cross-country ski resort in winter),
Filitosa prehistoric site and museum (centre of prehistoric Corsica, 8,000 years of history),
Maison de Colomba at Olmeto (heroine who inspired Prosper Mérimée),
Several towers including the 16th century Tour de Campomoro,
Eglise l'Annunziata, 12th century, Romanesque-Pisan style church at Santa Maria Figaniella,
Iles Bruzzi and Îlots des Moines Nature Reserves,
Pont génois (Genoese bridge) over the Rizzanese
Village of Tizzano
A little extra…
The Catenacciu - a truly timeless experience.
At Easter in Sartene, at around 21.00, when there are lighted candles at every window, a penitent in chains (U Catenacciu) appears wearing a red robe and hood, carrying a heavy solid oak cross on his shoulders and with a 17kg chain strapped to his right ankle.
At Place Porta, the double doors of the church of Sainte-Marie are opened wide to allow procession to leave. The red penitent starts a steep journey of 1.8km followed by a man dressed in white and eight others dressed in black. All of them walk barefoot along the Way of the Cross, surrounded by members of their brotherhood and followed by the crowd up and down the hilly streets of Sartène. Like Christ, U Catenacciu falls down three times. While the penitent is on the ground, all the townspeople recite The Lord’s Prayer and Hail Mary, caught up in the intense emotion of the scene. After the third fall, the penitents go to the square in front of the parish church. A preacher reminds the devout audience of the stages of the Way of the Cross before everyone enters the church of Sainte-Marie to pray. U Catenacciu enters the church, places the cross on the high altar then prays, surrounded by all the penitents. Kneeling or prostrate in front of the high altar, the penitents then wait for all the pilgrims to kiss the recumbent Christ. U Catenacciu returns to the convent and much later during the night to avoid being recognised, he returns to his home, village, hideaway or prison – for nobody knows the identity of the penitent except the priest, and the list of volunteers is very long...
How to get to Sartene
The nearest arrival port is Propriano, 14 kilometres away.
The nearest airport is Figari (40 minutes).
You can also arrive by ferry or plane to Ajaccio, a 1½ hour drive."
