Ermitage de la Trinité

Bonifacio

On the "mountain" of Bonifacio, away from the white cliffs thronged with visitors, a chaos of strangely shaped granite hides one of the oldest places of prayer in Corsica. Occupation of the site is attested from the 4th century: tradition sees here first a pagan sanctuary, then an early Christian place of worship, before anchorites settled in the caves hollowed out above a first chapel. The church dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity appears in the records in the 13th century; Benedictines and then Franciscans remodelled it, and in the 19th century Capuchins founded the little convent that still flanks the white chapel. Beneath the olive trees of the esplanade the view is immense: the bay of Paragan, the Strait of Bonifacio and, in clear weather, the coast of Sardinia. The people of Bonifacio have never abandoned their hermitage: each year, in June for the feast of the Trinity and again in September, processions and pilgrimages climb from the town to the chapel, perpetuating an attachment many centuries old. The place also holds a poignant contemporary memory: a Virgin of Tibhirine is venerated here, along with the memory of the martyred monks of the Atlas, a little earth from whose graves has been laid here. An emblematic site of the Grand Site de France "Bonifacio", the hermitage is being restored with the support of the Fondation du patrimoine — the monks' garden, the paths and the water system are gradually regaining their former appearance.

Getting there : About ten minutes by car from the citadel of Bonifacio, along a small winding road through the maquis (towards Sartène, then Capo di Feno); car parks at the foot of the site, free access to the chapel and esplanade. Starting point of the walking loop to Capo di Feno.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound