Saint-Florent (; it, San Fiorenzo, ; co, San Fiurenzu, ) is a commune in

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 on the island of

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Originally a fishing port located in the gulf of the same name, pleasure boats have now largely taken the place of fishing vessels. Today, it is a popular summer vacation spot for many tourists because of its proximity to the Patrimonio vineyards and the Saleccia beach.

History

Saint-Florent was created by the Genoese in the 16th century as a base to carry out repressive operations against the Corsican patriots in the surrounding villages. France later used it to disembark hordes of

mercenaries A mercenary, sometimes Pseudonym, also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a memb ...

and colonists during August 1764 in order to subject the independent Corsican people. After the defeat at Ponte Novu Bridge, the army of

Pasquale Paoli Filippo Antonio Pasquale de' Paoli (; french: link=no, Pascal Paoli; 6 April 1725 – 5 February 1807) was a Corsican patriot, statesman, and military leader who was at the forefront of resistance movements against the Genoese and later ...

, sometimes called "the Father of Corsica", with the aid of the fleet of

Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought a ...

, reconquered Saint-Florent in 1794 during Corsiaca
Population

Climate
Saint-Florent has a typically
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
- mild winters with temperatures rarely dropping below zero give way to long, warm, dry summers with temperatures peaking at around in July and August.

Sights
The monuments of Saint-Florent are the Genoese citadel constructed in 1440 at the same time as the city, and the Romanesque Saint-Florent Cathedral, or the cathedral of the Nebbio, now the church of Santa Maria Assunta. Near the village are the Genoese towers Torra di Mortella and Torra di Fornali.

Notable people
* Louis Bizarelli, former politician, was born at Saint-Florent in 1836. * Lizzy Mercier Descloux, musician and singer, spent her last years in Saint-Florent. She died there in 2004. * Marie Ferranti, author, lives and works in Saint-Florent. * Antoine Gentili, general and exile companion of
Pasquale Paoli Filippo Antonio Pasquale de' Paoli (; french: link=no, Pascal Paoli; 6 April 1725 – 5 February 1807) was a Corsican patriot, statesman, and military leader who was at the forefront of resistance movements against the Genoese and later ...
.

See also
*
Communes of the Haute-Corse department The following is a list of the 236 communes of the Haute-Corse department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administr ...

References

External links
*
Picture of Saint-Florent Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saintflorent Communes of Haute-Corse Haute-Corse communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia