Barbaggio
Encyclopedia
Barbaggio is a commune
in the Haute-Corse
department of France on the island of Corsica
. It is known for its wine, its scenery, and the prehistoric site of Strette.
on the southwest slopes of 960 metres (3,149.6 ft) Serra di Pigno. In times of conflict it controls the Col de Teghine, a pass through the Serra mountains, at a 536 metres (1,758.5 ft) elevation, leading to Bastia
, 10 kilometres (6 mi) away. The village is reached by a winding Route D81, which crosses the peninsula and goes over the pass. Barbaggio has a fine view of the Golfe de St-Florent but does not itself border on the water. It is traditionally a village of the region of Nebbio.
The plateau, which is drained by small streams, such as the Ruisseau de Lucitello, gives to the village its chief economic resource, 45 hectares (111.2 acre) of grapevines. The commune is known for its fine wine. Of the remainder of the 1086 ha (2,683.6 acre), 610 ha (1,507.3 acre) are woods. Barbaggio shares with nearby Oletta
a nature reserve of 32 ha (79.1 acre).
is the chief industry of Barbaggio. Vines have been grown on terraced hillsides there and in most other villages of the wine-making region of Cap Corse
since antiquity, possibly prehistory. The wine industry of France in recent times is regulated by a governmental system of certification, the Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC), which specifies where and under what conditions the grapes for its labels can be grown. Barbaggio is warranted to make the following labels:
These are high-quality light table wines of minimal aging and short life made from grapes grown by several land-owners of the region.
gather into a single stream, the Ruisseau la Strutta or Rivière de la Strutta, "Strutta Stream", which flowing between 200 metres (656.2 ft) cliffs crosses a short alluvial plain and empties into the Golfe-de-St.-Florent. Route D81 leaving Saint-Florent
bears northeast along the alluvium and turns inland through the gorge. Just over the Barbaggio border at the base of a cliff is the prehistoric Abri de Strette, "Strette Shelter", where strette is "narrow place", one of the oldest continuously occupied sites of Corsica.
The material of the bottom layer has been carbon-dated to 9140±300 BP, about 7000 BC, well into the Pre-Neolithic. It contains shell middens and the bones of small animals, such as Prolagus sardus (some say corsicanus), believed extinct, as well as a lithic assemblage. Chemical analysis of the stones identifies them as non-Corsican. This level is believed to have been a seasonal hunter-gatherer site of non-Corsicans arriving by boat.
The Early Neolithic, starting about 6000 BC, is identified by sherds of Cardial Ware
. Subsequent layers indicate a continuous occupation until the end of the Bronze Age
; i.e., this was an indigenous village commanding the route to the plateau and the pass. It was abandoned at the start of the Iron Age
but was sporadically occupied after.
Barbaggio − that is, Barbaio − belonged to the Diocese of Nebbio, Latin Nebulensis, "cloudy", which comprised a section of northwest Corsica and the southwest coast of Cap Corse. These facts are attested by the Cartulary of Nebbio, a fragment of a 13th-century collection of documents published by the bishops of Nebbio concerning the notarization of land titles from the 10th to the 13th centuries AD. One of the notaries is Johannes de S. Martino de Barbaio, a priest. The language of the document shows that the Corsican language
already had evolved from Latin.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Haute-Corse
Haute-Corse
Haute-Corse is a French department. It constitutes the northern part of the island of Corsica.- History :The department was formed on 15 September 1975, when the department of Corse was divided into Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud...
department of France on the island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. It is known for its wine, its scenery, and the prehistoric site of Strette.
Geography
Barbaggio, a very small commune, is named for the village of Barbaggio, which sits on an upland plateau at the base of Cap CorseCap Corse
Cap Corse, a geographical area of Corsica , is a 25-mile long peninsula located at the northern tip of the island. At the base of it is the second largest city in Corsica, Bastia...
on the southwest slopes of 960 metres (3,149.6 ft) Serra di Pigno. In times of conflict it controls the Col de Teghine, a pass through the Serra mountains, at a 536 metres (1,758.5 ft) elevation, leading to Bastia
Bastia
Bastia is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It is also the second-largest city in Corsica after Ajaccio and the capital of the department....
, 10 kilometres (6 mi) away. The village is reached by a winding Route D81, which crosses the peninsula and goes over the pass. Barbaggio has a fine view of the Golfe de St-Florent but does not itself border on the water. It is traditionally a village of the region of Nebbio.
The plateau, which is drained by small streams, such as the Ruisseau de Lucitello, gives to the village its chief economic resource, 45 hectares (111.2 acre) of grapevines. The commune is known for its fine wine. Of the remainder of the 1086 ha (2,683.6 acre), 610 ha (1,507.3 acre) are woods. Barbaggio shares with nearby Oletta
Oletta
Oletta is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
a nature reserve of 32 ha (79.1 acre).
Economy
ViticultureViticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
is the chief industry of Barbaggio. Vines have been grown on terraced hillsides there and in most other villages of the wine-making region of Cap Corse
Cap Corse
Cap Corse, a geographical area of Corsica , is a 25-mile long peninsula located at the northern tip of the island. At the base of it is the second largest city in Corsica, Bastia...
since antiquity, possibly prehistory. The wine industry of France in recent times is regulated by a governmental system of certification, the Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC), which specifies where and under what conditions the grapes for its labels can be grown. Barbaggio is warranted to make the following labels:
- AOC Muscat du Cap Corse
- AOC Patrimonio
- AOC Vin de Corse
These are high-quality light table wines of minimal aging and short life made from grapes grown by several land-owners of the region.
Prehistory
The rivulets that drain the plateau beneath Barbaggio and nearby PatrimonioPatrimonio
Patrimonio is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Geography:Located 12 km from Bastia and 4 km from the micro-region of Saint-Florent, this wine-growing commune is the gateway to the Cap Corse .-History:The village of Patrimonio is well known for...
gather into a single stream, the Ruisseau la Strutta or Rivière de la Strutta, "Strutta Stream", which flowing between 200 metres (656.2 ft) cliffs crosses a short alluvial plain and empties into the Golfe-de-St.-Florent. Route D81 leaving Saint-Florent
Saint-Florent, Haute-Corse
Saint-Florent is a commune in Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. It is a fishing port located on the gulf of the same name....
bears northeast along the alluvium and turns inland through the gorge. Just over the Barbaggio border at the base of a cliff is the prehistoric Abri de Strette, "Strette Shelter", where strette is "narrow place", one of the oldest continuously occupied sites of Corsica.
The material of the bottom layer has been carbon-dated to 9140±300 BP, about 7000 BC, well into the Pre-Neolithic. It contains shell middens and the bones of small animals, such as Prolagus sardus (some say corsicanus), believed extinct, as well as a lithic assemblage. Chemical analysis of the stones identifies them as non-Corsican. This level is believed to have been a seasonal hunter-gatherer site of non-Corsicans arriving by boat.
The Early Neolithic, starting about 6000 BC, is identified by sherds of Cardial Ware
Cardium Pottery
Cardium Pottery or Cardial Ware is a Neolithic decorative style that gets its name from the imprinting of the clay with the shell of the Cardium edulis, a marine mollusk...
. Subsequent layers indicate a continuous occupation until the end of the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
; i.e., this was an indigenous village commanding the route to the plateau and the pass. It was abandoned at the start of the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
but was sporadically occupied after.
History
In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Barbaggio − that is, Barbaio − belonged to the Diocese of Nebbio, Latin Nebulensis, "cloudy", which comprised a section of northwest Corsica and the southwest coast of Cap Corse. These facts are attested by the Cartulary of Nebbio, a fragment of a 13th-century collection of documents published by the bishops of Nebbio concerning the notarization of land titles from the 10th to the 13th centuries AD. One of the notaries is Johannes de S. Martino de Barbaio, a priest. The language of the document shows that the Corsican language
Corsican language
Corsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was...
already had evolved from Latin.
Population
See also
- History of CorsicaHistory of CorsicaThat the history of Corsica has been influenced by its strategic position at the heart of the western Mediterranean and its maritime routes, only from Sardinia, from the Isle of Elba, from the coast of Tuscany and from the French port of Nice, was first proposed by the 19th-century German...
- Prehistory of CorsicaPrehistory of CorsicaThe prehistory of Corsica is analogous to the prehistories of the other islands in the Mediterranean Sea, such as Sicily, Sardinia, Malta and Cyprus, which could only be accessed by boat and featured cultures that were to some degree insular; that is, modified from the traditional Palaeolithic,...
- Communes of the Haute-Corse department