The Col de Marsolino ( co, Bocca di Marsolinu) is a mountain pass in the
Haute-Corse
Haute-Corse (; co, Corsica suprana , or ; en, Upper Corsica) is (as of 2022) an administrative department of France, consisting of the northern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collectivity merged wi ...
department of Corsica, France.
The pass is in the west of the
Monte Cinto massif
The Monte Cinto massif is one of the main massifs in the island of Corsica, France, taking its name from the highest mountain in Corsica, Monte Cinto.
It is the northernmost and highest of the four massifs that form the spine of the island.
The ma ...
.
It connects
Calvi and
Calenzana
Calenzana (; co, Calinzana) is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.
In 1732 it was the site of an uprising by Corsican nationalists against the island's Genoese rulers.
It is now best known as the sta ...
to
Galéria
Galéria () is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.
Geography Climate
Galéria has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification ''Csa''). The average annual temperature in Galéria ...
.
Its low altitude allows it to be open almost all year round.
Toponymy
The pass takes its name from the ancient parish of Armito-Marsolino which covered the upper Ruisseau de Marsulinu valley.
Geography
The Marsolino Pass is located on a secondary mountain range in the Monte Cinto massif, joining the main chain of the island at the Muvrella.
The range extends west to the sea at Punta di Ciuttone north of the Gulf of Galeria.
It separates the valley of the Ruisseau de Pinzutella stream (Ronca river), a tributary of the
Figarella to the north, from the valley of the Ruisseau de Marsolinu, a tributary of the
Fango river to the south. It is an entrance to the regional natural park of Corsica.
Its altitude is .
It is located on the only major road in the west of the island: the D81 (formerly RN 199) connecting
Calvi to
Vico () and
Ajaccio
Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the ''Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica). ...
().
A pylon supporting telecommunications antennas is installed about twenty meters above the pass.
Events
On August 13, 1992, a plane crash occurred at the pass, killing all four occupants of the aircraft: David Vallier, a pilot practicing at the Ajaccio Air Club, and three passengers, Yvon Briant, Member of the Assembly. Nathalie Péan his wife, director of NRJ radio, and Hugues their son.
Cycling
The Col de Marsolino was part of the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
for the first time in 2013, during the 3rd stage. It was classified as a 2nd category climb. The Frenchman
Pierre Rolland took the lead at the top.
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsolino, Col de
Mountain passes of Haute-Corse