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Cervioni & A Scupiccia

old capital of Corsica, now classified village

Cervioni is a village located on the slopes of Monte Castellu (1109m), but the municipality stretches to the coastline, enjoying both pleasures of sea and mountain. The village is also steeped in history: it was the ancient seat of Aleria's bishops and the capital of Corsica under First King Théodore's reign. You will be able to visit its Franciscan monastery dated from the XVIth century, the Sant'Erasmu cathedral which is one of the first corsican baroque edifice, and its ethnographic museum created by the ADECEC association. It's worth noting that Cervioni distinguish itself in the  cultivation of hazelnut since the early 20th century, so much that a traditional feast 'Festa di a Nuciola' is celebrated every year at the end August.









The famous 'Guide Vert Michelin' to discovering the heritage of the French regions recently awarded a star to the village of Cervione, which means that it's a remarkable 'interesting' site. A well-deserved distinction that highlights the heritage and tourist interest of this village, which is worth more than a detour.


A Madonna di a Scupiccia

At one-hour walk above Cervioni, the Scupiccia plateau (750m) is a remarkable spot with an uninterrupted view on the coastline, and is home to A Madonna di a Scupiccia chapel. This chapel contains a Carrara marble statue of the Virgin, classified by the French Art School. The statue and its column altar, sculpted in Florence, were probably destined to the magnificent cathedral of Córdoba in Andalusia, before washed up on Prunete's beach in the 16th century. The inhabitants seized the statue, started to worship it, and called it 'A Madonna di a Scupiccia', because it has been dropped off at the place known as the Scupiccia. The legend relates that this statue chooses itself its chapel: the Cerviuninchi (inhabitants of Cervioni) opted for another place but the statue always came back on the actual location, so they had to respect its divine wish. But the actual reason for this miracle may be the fact that the inhabitants of a nearby village moved it to their wish since the Scupiccia is juxtaposed on the two villages...

Every 14th of August, on the occasion of the Scupiccia Vigil, musical animations take place at the chapel site. A great atmosphere and friendliness are guaranteed in this place situated at the heart of the mountains!


Several ways


There are two ways to Scupiccia. The first access, starting at Cervioni, offers a wide road where walkers and cars can pass without being in each other's way. The second is a marked footpath starting at Cigliu in the village of Sant'Andria di u Cotone, at 5km from Cervioni. In every case, not forget ot take appropriate shoes, and enjoy gorgeous and various landscapes.