Calvi
Encyclopedia
Calvi is a commune
in the Haute-Corse
department of France
on the island of Corsica
.
It is the seat of the Canton of Calvi, which contains Calvi and one other commune, Lumio
. Calvi is also the capital of the Arrondissement of Calvi, which contains, besides the Canton of Calvi, three other cantons: L'Île-Rousse
, Belgodère
, and Calenzana
.
The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
(2ème REP) of the French Foreign Legion
is based in the citadel
of Calvi.
According to legend, Christopher Columbus
supposedly came from Calvi, which at the time was part of the Genoese Empire
. Because the often subversive elements of the island gave its inhabitants a bad reputation, he would have been expected to mask his exact birthplace.
, 95 km (59 mi) from Bastia
and 24 km (14.9 mi) from L'Île-Rousse
. It is the fifth-largest commune in Corsica; however, the arrondissement is the smallest.
.
During the war with Revolutionary France, British forces under Admiral Nelson
and Lieutenant-General Charles Stuart captured the city in the Siege of Calvi
. It was during the bombardment of Calvi that Nelson sustained the injury that cost him his eye.
, which started in 1950 due to the pioneering efforts of Vladimir Raitz
. Calvi is served by the international Calvi - Sainte-Catherine Airport
, the Xavier Colonna Port, and a railway line to L'Île-Rousse
and Ponte-Leccia, where it connects with the main line Ajaccio
- Bastia
.
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
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan 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 the seat of the Canton of Calvi, which contains Calvi and one other commune, Lumio
Lumio
Lumio is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
. Calvi is also the capital of the Arrondissement of Calvi, which contains, besides the Canton of Calvi, three other cantons: L'Île-Rousse
L'Île-Rousse
L'Île-Rousse is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.It was founded in 1758 by Pasquale Paoli to create a port that would not be in the hands of the Genoese like Calvi...
, Belgodère
Belgodère
Belgodère is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
, and Calenzana
Calenzana
Calenzana is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.In 1732 it was the site of an uprising by Corsican nationalists against the island's Genoese rulers....
.
The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment is an Airborne regiment of the French Foreign Legion. It is a part of the 11e Brigade Parachutiste and the spearhead of the French Rapid reaction force.-Indochina:...
(2ème REP) of the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
is based in the citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
of Calvi.
According to legend, Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
supposedly came from Calvi, which at the time was part of the Genoese Empire
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. Because the often subversive elements of the island gave its inhabitants a bad reputation, he would have been expected to mask his exact birthplace.
Geography
Calvi is located on the northwest coast of the island of CorsicaCorsica
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....
, 95 km (59 mi) from 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....
and 24 km (14.9 mi) from L'Île-Rousse
L'Île-Rousse
L'Île-Rousse is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.It was founded in 1758 by Pasquale Paoli to create a port that would not be in the hands of the Genoese like Calvi...
. It is the fifth-largest commune in Corsica; however, the arrondissement is the smallest.
History
The motto, "Calvi semper fidelis," ("Calvi Always Faithful") referred originally to its loyaly to the Republic of GenoaRepublic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
.
During the war with Revolutionary France, British forces under Admiral Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
and Lieutenant-General Charles Stuart captured the city in the Siege of Calvi
Siege of Calvi
The Siege of Calvi was a siege of French Revolutionary forces in Calvi, Haute-Corse in July and August 1794 by British forces, ending in a British victory.- Context :...
. It was during the bombardment of Calvi that Nelson sustained the injury that cost him his eye.
Population
Economy
The economy of Calvi is essentially based on summer tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, which started in 1950 due to the pioneering efforts of Vladimir Raitz
Vladimir Raitz
Vladimir Gavrilovich Raitz is the co-founder of the Horizon Holiday Group, who pioneered the first mass package holidays abroad. His family left the Soviet Union when he was 6, and variously passed through Berlin and Warsaw, before they settled in London. He attended Mill Hill School, London and...
. Calvi is served by the international Calvi - Sainte-Catherine Airport
Calvi - Sainte-Catherine Airport
Calvi - Sainte-Catherine Airport or Aéroport de Calvi - Sainte-Catherine is an airport located 6 km southeast of Calvi, a commune of the Haute-Corse département in France, on the island of Corsica.-Airlines and destinations:- External links :...
, the Xavier Colonna Port, and a railway line to L'Île-Rousse
L'Île-Rousse
L'Île-Rousse is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.It was founded in 1758 by Pasquale Paoli to create a port that would not be in the hands of the Genoese like Calvi...
and Ponte-Leccia, where it connects with the main line Ajaccio
Ajaccio
Ajaccio , is a commune on the island of Corsica in France. It is the capital and largest city of the region of Corsica and the prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud....
- 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....
.