Citadelle de Bonifacio

Enclosed within its fortifications, the medieval citadel is perched on a limestone promontory over 60 meters high, sculpted over millennia by the sea and wind. A veritable open-air museum, here you will find suggestions for visiting the citadel in a different way: a miniature train, a mobile app, and an audio guide are just some of the ways to explore its rich religious, military, and civil heritage. You can also find information on must-see monuments and all guided tours! The citadel of Bonifacio is a military structure built gradually from the 12th century onwards to protect Bonifacio, an important stronghold of the Republic of Genoa, ensuring the security of its trade between Genoa, Liguria, and Sardinia, and controlling the Strait of Bonifacio. It is referred to as the "citadel" of Bonifacio. Historians distinguish between a "citadel" and a "presidium," or "preside" in French. A preside is a fortified complex inhabited by a population tasked with defending the city and providing services there. A citadel has a purely military function. Bonifacio was the first presidency built by the Genoese in Corsica, at the end of the 12th century. Bonifacio is built on a limestone plateau with horizontal layers and a high cliff facing the sea, approximately 60 meters high.