Sartene

Sartene stands on a granite shoulder above the Rizzanese valley, built entirely of the local grey stone in tall narrow houses along alleys that run under vaults and up steps, with few openings at street level; the effect is closed and defensive, which suited a town with a long history of clan feuding. Prosper Merimee called it the most Corsican of Corsican towns and the label stuck. On the evening of Good Friday the Catenacciu procession crosses the town: a hooded penitent, anonymous and chosen by the priest, drags a chain and carries a cross through the streets, a rite kept since the sixteenth century.

What you actually see

• The granite alleys - vaulted passages and steps between tall grey houses.
• The Catenacciu - the Good Friday procession of a hooded penitent in chains.
• The Place Porta - the main square looking out over the valley.
• The prehistory museum - Corsican megalithic finds from the region.

When to go

April to June and September to October; Good Friday for the Catenacciu, which fills the town and is a religious rite rather than a spectacle. Summer is hot on the granite.

Honest expectations

The town is austere rather than pretty and some find it forbidding. Streets are steep and stepped. The Catenacciu draws large crowds and respectful behaviour is expected.

Nearby

Filitosa lies north; Bonifacio is southeast.