Corsica has a lot more in common with its neighboring Sardinia than it does with the country it’s connected to, France. No doubt that there are plenty of evidences of French culture here, and visitors will remember the food for its lovely flavors, and its butter, which has some French contributions. But in terms of places that are misunderstood, it has a similar history to Sardinia, and certainly a contemporary frustration that at times turns into nationalist sentiments toward preserving the culture here.
Although it does have a language that’s difficult to navigate, and there are many cultural forms here that are very peculiar to the place, it’s also a fantastic place to visit. Any place where the cuisine has equal shares of French and Italian and Spanish influences is worth visiting, and the lovely coastline is something that speaks to everyone. Corsica hotels are experiments in how lovely life can be, and there is no final answer, in any language.
While hospitality and flavor can appeal to just about anyone, with or without common sense, there are elements of Corsica that are very much part of the culture here, and are enormously fascinating. One image that will be seen everywhere, although not necessarily noticed, is the granitula . This is the spiral, and it’s a symbol that has peculiarly heavy weight here, but actually connects with other very old traditions.
The spiral-granitula is seen in many of the saint festivals, where barefoot penitents will walk in a procession, and at times dance in a clockwise spiral, and at times counter-clockwise. There are lots of interpretations for this, and what it actually signifies.
Like in most places that use the spiral, echoing the movement of water through a hole, or the design on a snail’s back, it refers to time and space. Moving forward and backward, something coming out of nothing, and returning to nothing again, in an endless dance. It marks the mystery of existence, and also speaks to a notion that life is always in flux, and always in motion.
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