Discover a territory of land and water
It’s hard to find a more delightful area of natural area of beauty than the Rive Sud and Porticcio in the heart of one of the most beautiful gulfs in the world, with the imperial city of Ajaccio and the islands of the Sanguinaires (Isles Sanguinaires) as a backdrop. You will find kilometres of fine sand and turquoise waters with hills of thick green underbrush creating a vivid contrast The area is steeped in history and local crafts are made here . The region offers a multitude of riches with so much to offer nature lovers and water sports enthusiasts alike. In the summer the area comes to life with beach volleyball tournaments, musical evenings, village dances, open-air cinema, and farmers’ markets in Porticcio and Pietrosella.
Out of season The South Shore (Rive Sud) is still a lively place with local traditions such as the Christmas market, a market for the young in Porticcio, the Miss Corsica elections. There are also more regular activities such as theatre, salsa, and Corsican or English classes at the Pietrosella media library. The South Shore offers its inhabitants, as well as its visitors, many opportunities to get together and have fun. It’s a wonderful example of La Dolce Vita.
Historically, the “piève de l’ornano” refers to all the territories on the right bank of the Taravo River, to the west of the Granace Pass. The communes of Pietrosella and Coti-Chiavari and the coastal part of the communes of Grosseto-Prugna (Porticcio) and Albitreccia (Molini) are the former winter transhumance lands of the inhabitants of the “piève de l’ornano” and look towards the Gulf of Ajaccio. Ornano is limited to the east by the Granace pass, which gives access to the upper Taravo valley (Talavo micro-region). To the north and west, it is separated from the Prunelli valley by the Pointe de Mantelluccio massifhzs a low point at the pass of Saint-Georges.The limit to south comes to an end at the Mediterranean Sea and to the south-east by the river of the Taravo, which separates it from the Istria valley. The name of this area is probably linked to the presence of the flowering ash tree, Fraxinus ornus. As you travel through the Ornano today you can discover a pretty succession of villages that have preserved their typical character in a natural environment that has been preserved.
The Taravo river has its source here, in the ancient Pieve du Talavo. It is here that this region of Corsica finds its soul and roots. The upper valley was closely linked to the middle and lower parts of the valley by the possession of coastal land and transhumance. According to the seasons, the inhabitants migrated from the Ornano plains to the Cuscionu plateau or to the chestnut groves of Sampolo and Tasso. the Haut Taravo has preserved an authenticity that is the source of all its charm and beauty today. The villages are still preserved, agriculture is still carried out and the natural areas are still protected.
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