Monticello

Situated at an altitude of 218 metres, the village’s old houses form the compact silhouette of villages of yesteryear, built for protection, centred around the parish church of San Sebastianu. Built in the early 17th century, it houses the 1710 painting *The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian*, which is listed as a Historic Monument.

A short walk away, the Confraternity of San Carlo Borromeo, built in 1697, houses a precious Italian-Corsican organ and a painting by Giacomo Grandi. Further up, the Chapel of San Francescu dominates the scene with its 18th-century dome. It is here that the San Roccu – Saint Roch – festival takes place every 16 August, featuring a procession, the blessing of the horses and the traditional sharing of chickpea soup.

The municipality stretches down to the Mediterranean along a rugged coastline, marked by A Punta di Palumbara, Cala d’Olivu and the Saleccia cove. On the headland, the remains of a Genoese tower dating from 1570 are a reminder of the days when the Balanine coast had to keep watch over the open sea.

Close by, Saleccia Park offers a botanical interpretation of the landscape. Spanning seven hectares by the sea, this ‘Jardin Remarquable’ brings together olive trees, maquis and Mediterranean flora. A moment of respite that gracefully demonstrates that the maquis, too, possesses its own sense of harmony. It is within this natural world that wellbeing, alternative medicine, the circus arts and the Tu Si short film festival have found their place.