Aléria City Map Poster

About Aléria

It is part of the arrondissement of Corte. Aléria was founded by the Phocaeans, who gave it its original Greek name. It became an important town in Roman times and a bishopric under Byzantine rule before being destroyed by Arabs in 859 AD. The inhabitants were massacred or sold into slavery and Aleria never recovered from this disaster, although it continued to have some importance as a port for Corsica until well into the Middle Ages.[2] In 1284 Charles II of Anjou built a fortress there which was subsequently used as an arsenal during French rule.[3] Its citadelle (fortress) is one of only two surviving pre-modern fortresses on Corsica;[4][5] Aléria's other main attraction is its beachfront location between Calvi and Bonifacio, with views across to Sardinia on clear days.