Corte (pop. 7,000) lies in the center of Corsica in a basin in the Tavignano valley, surrounded by high, bare granite hills. On a rocky ridge rising almost vertically above the river is its 15th century citadel, formerly almost impregnable. Over the centuries Corte was an important and hotly contested stronghold. From 1755 to 1769 it was the
capital of the island and the seat of the democratic government established by Pasquale Paoli, who also founded a university here. In the Palais Nationa,l mementos of Paoli are displayed. Adjoining the Eglise de l'Annonciation, which has a 17th century facade and a notable interior, is a Baroque bell-tower.
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