Nonza: heritage and a walk
In Nonza, historic buildings and a walk to the black beach bring together different chapters of the village’s history. The restored terraces along the circular trail are linked to the former cultivation of citrons; the ruins of the Marine tell of trade at Cap Corse. Other highlights include the rock paintings of Grotta Scritta and the Fontaine Sainte Julie. If you are considering Nonza as a place to stay, you can plan your visit around whether architecture, history or a walk is your main interest. The places and trail details described here offer different starting points without prescribing a fixed itinerary for the day.
Tower, church and Fontaine Sainte Julie
Over more than 800 years, the Tour de Nonza, also known as the Torra, has served different purposes: it was a lord’s tower, a coastal tower and a defensive structure, and it also became a symbolic expression of political identity. Remains of a wall surround the tower; they probably formed a kind of bastion. By decree of 5 July 1926, the Tour was listed as a historic monument. The Église Sainte-Julie offers a different architectural accent. It is considered a Venetian Baroque building and is dedicated to the martyr Sainte-Julie. The church is also listed as a historic monument, by decree of 6 December 1984. Together, the buildings illustrate two different ways of approaching Nonza’s history: the tower’s changing functions and the church’s architectural style and religious dedication.
A staircase with 54 steps leads from the northern entrance to the village down to the Fontaine Sainte Julie. Its water is believed to have miraculous powers. The exact number of steps makes the staircase a clear landmark; the tradition surrounding the water adds a religious dimension to the architectural heritage. Visitors wishing to explore different facets of the village will find a different historical perspective here than at the two listed buildings.
The circular trail to the beach and terraces
The “Les terrasses et la marine” circular trail is 1.5 kilometres long, rated easy and marked in yellow. It forms a loop, with a stated duration of one hour. From the village of Nonza, it leads to the black beach and returns via restored terraces linked to the history of citron cultivation. The trail thus combines a manageable walk with a tangible trace of local cultural history. Its length, markings and stated duration help you estimate how much time to allow. The large beach can be reached on foot in about five minutes via a path on the left. Before setting out, check the current condition of the trails, as trail conditions may depend on local maintenance.
The Marine, citrons and traces of the past
Until the 18th century, the ruins of the Marine of Nonza were among the most important trading posts at Cap Corse. Citrons were stored in its warehouses either whole in crates or sliced in barrels of seawater. These details highlight two aspects of the fruit’s history: the restored terraces are linked to its cultivation, while the warehouses tell of how the fruit was stored at the time. They give the history of trade a tangible form, without reducing it to the ruins alone.
The rock paintings of Grotta Scritta represent a much earlier period. They date from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Alongside the church, a historic monument, the tower with its changing functions and the trading ruins, they take the story back to an early period of human history. Visitors who wish to organise their visits by theme can focus on architecture and religious dedication, the history of citron cultivation or the great age of the rock paintings.
Discover more destinations: Muro, Bastia, Feliceto, Calenzana, Santo-Pietro-Di-Venaco, Albertacce, Casamaccioli, Matra
For the overview of the wider region: Haute-Corse.
