The old town of Bonifacio stands at the southern tip of Corsica. It sits on top of white limestone cliffs. In places, the cliffs rise up to 100 metres above the sea.
This page contains affiliate links, which may earn us a small commission.
The rock is very old. It formed in a shallow sea during the Miocene, more than 10 million years ago. Some of the layers are old reef rock. Wind and waves have shaped the cliffs ever since.
Under the citadel, the cliff has a large overhang. It sticks out about 20 metres. Cracks run through the rock nearby.
For this reason, French experts have studied the cliff closely. From 2018 to 2023, a government study looked at the risk of a large rockfall. It was led by the French geological survey. Engineers fixed sensors to the rock. They measured how much the cracks moved. They also scanned the cliff face with lasers.
Experts say it is hard to predict when and where a cliff will fail. The study aimed to understand the risk better.
Life goes on above the sea. The town is named after Boniface II of Tuscany. He was given the defence of Corsica in 828. Narrow streets and old walls now fill the top of the cliff.
Visitors can also go down the cliff. The King of Aragon’s Staircase is carved into the limestone. It has about 190 steps and a steep slope of 45 degrees. A legend says the soldiers of Alfonso V of Aragon cut it in a single night in 1420.