France Cover

France Cover
Post Marke; 09/05/1994-Paris 20 CTC 256 BIS R.DES PYRENEES

19.02.1994 Tourism
Bastia
Face Value ; 4,40 Fr
Michel Catalog Number ; 3006

Bastia (French and Corsican: Bastia), is a town and commune of northern Corsica, in France. It is the prefecture (capital) of the Haute-Corse departement and has a population of approximately 40,000 inhabitants. Bastia is also an important Corsican port and is famous for its wines.
Situated in the northeast of Corsica, at the base of Cap Corse, Bastia is the principal port of the island and its principal commercial town. The average annual temperature is about 15.3 °C, and there are usually five days of freezing weather per year. The wind in Bastia is frequent and violent, and the annual rainfall is copious (more than 700 mm). However, there are about 340 days of sunshine per year.Before the occupation of Corsica by the Genoese, Cardo was a large city. Around the city were little villages where the fishermen of Cardo lived. This little port was called Porto Cardo, which means "the port of Cardo."
The Genoese felt the need for shelter from the sea storms and began to construct, in the time of governor Leonello Lomellini, in 1380 a bastiglia, also known as a stronghold or citadel.With time, the bastiglia (Bastia) became more prosperous and important than Cardo.Bastia was the capital of Corsica until 1791.