exploring corsica
april 2025
dr estelle lazer
*** Preliminary Itinerary ***
Explore a lesser-known Mediterranean island, proud of its prehistoric sites and rich ancient Roman, medieval and Napoleonic histories, with guided walks from its spectacular coasts to cool forests
OVERVIEW
Corsica remains one of the Mediterranean’s lesser-known islands, proud of its distinct identity in language, gastronomy and politics.
In ancient times its safe harbours guaranteed important trading partners, from Phoenicians and ancient Greeks to Etruscans and almighty Rome. The power of two rival medieval maritime empires, Pisa and Genoa, who colonised Corsica in the Middle Ages, can still be seen in the island’s outstanding architecture – and heard in the Corsican language. From the eighteenth century, Corsica became strongly associated with Europe’s modern political struggles, including the rise and fall of Napoleon and the independence movement led by Pasquale Paoli.
Corsica is equally celebrated for an extraordinary diversity of landscapes. Its coastlines vary from the dramatic red rocks and pristine seas outside Ajaccio to the precipitous limestone cliffs of Bonifacio in the south. The interior is characterised by mountain woods of chestnut and oak, with cool river valleys crossed by medieval Genoese bridges. Our local guide is also qualified to lead hikes, and has worked with us to design a select program of 4-5 walks that range from gentle to moderate.
This 10-day tour program is complemented by the experience of your tour leader, archaeologist Dr Estelle Lazer. Estelle has led cultural tours to Europe for more than a decade, including many to Corsica.
Tour Leader
Dr Estelle Lazer Dr Estelle Lazer is an Australian archaeologist with an international reputation for her work on the human victims of ancient Pompeii.
Estelle has published numerous works on her examination of the casts of Pompeian victims, including the scholarly volume Resurrecting Pompeii, and she is frequently invited to address Australian and international institutions on her area of expertise. These include The Australian National University, Oxford University, the British Museum and The Getty Center, Malibu, among many others. Estelle appears regularly in Australian and international documentaries and radio programs, such as Mary Beard’s Pompeii: New Secrets Revealed (for the BBC) and National Geographic’s Pompeii: Secrets of the Dead. She is currently head of a project that examines the casts of the Pompeian victims via digital X-ray and CT scanning.
Estelle has worked extensively as an archaeologist on digs in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Antarctica and Australia. She is an experienced tour leader, having taken special interest groups through Italy and the Mediterranean for over 20 years. These have included numerous tours on the archaeology and ancient history of the Bay of Naples, Sardinia and Corsica.
Image of Dr Estelle Lazer courtesy Gianni Quaranta
Highlights
Understand Corsica’s fascinating prehistory, at Filitosa’s evocative standing stones
Appreciate Mediterranean maritime history at Aléria, an archaeological site with a harbour used by Phoenicians, Etruscans and ancient Romans
Encounter outstanding medieval architecture, including Pisan Romanesque cathedrals and Genoese fortifications in the pretty port of Bastia
Survey the rise of local boy Napoleon, at Ajaccio’s museums and in the superlative art collection of his uncle Joseph Fesch
Admire Corsica’s diverse landscapes on 4-5 guided walks, from the rugged red rocks of its pristine coastline to cool mountain forests, Bonifacio’s dramatic cliffs and some of Europe’s most important wetlands
Questions?
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