Ersa combines church and architectural history with striking viewpoints and hiking trails. The Église Saint-André de Granaggiolo is an example of Baroque architecture; from the Moulin Mattei, the panorama stretches from the Corsican and Italian coasts to the Tuscan Archipelago. When planning your trip, it is particularly useful to compare a short themed walk with the various sections of the Sentier des Douaniers, which differ in length.
Churches and local history
The Église Saint-André de Granaggiolo and its bell tower are listed as a Monument historique. The church is mentioned as early as the 17th century. Its Baroque architecture includes a square bell tower and four side chapels.
Santa Maria Assunta is the current parish church of Ersa. This distinguishes two different aspects of sacred history: Santa Maria Assunta is notable for its current status as a parish church; Saint-André stands out for its Baroque architecture, square bell tower, four side chapels and mention in the 17th century.
Other traces of local history
Ersa preserves traces of its past beyond its churches. The Tour de Tollare is a Genoese tower acquired by the municipality and subsequently restored. Former quarries where Verde Stella green marble was extracted are also visible. Thus, a Genoese tower and the former marble extraction industry offer two distinct cultural and historical themes.
The origins of the Cap Corse Mattei aperitif are also linked to Ersa: Louis Napoléon Mattei and François Mattei came from the village and created and produced the drink. Local history can therefore be explored not only through buildings and past marble extraction, but also through a product.
Viewpoints with different panoramas
The Chapelle Sant Antuninu stands on Monte Sant’Antone and offers a 360-degree panorama over Ersa. The Moulin Mattei is also located in the municipality. Its platform is 365 metres above sea level and can be reached from the car park via a walk of about ten minutes. From there, the panorama stretches from the Corsican and Italian coasts to the Tuscan Archipelago; Centuri and Giraglia are also in view. To choose based on the panorama, bear in mind that the chapel offers views over Ersa, while the coasts, islands and archipelago define the horizon from the Moulin Mattei.
Hiking trails and time required
The Sentier des Douaniers is a 19-kilometre coastal hiking trail between Macinaggio and Centuri that passes through protected natural areas. From Ersa, you can walk it in the direction of Centuri or Macinaggio. The estimated times differ considerably: Macinaggio–Barcaggio takes about 3 to 3.5 hours, Barcaggio–Tollare 45 minutes and Tollare–Centuri 4 hours. This lets you choose not only by direction, but also according to how much time you have available.
The themed walking trail “Les villages de la forêt” offers a different option. Its 1.7-kilometre Sainte-Marie–Granaghjolu section is estimated to take about 50 minutes. This is close to the 45-minute Barcaggio–Tollare section, while the other two sections of the Sentier des Douaniers mentioned above take several hours.
Discover more destinations: Brando, Sorbo-Ocagnano, Patrimonio, Pigna, Santa-Reparata-Di-Balagna, Barbaggio, Santa-Maria-Di-Lota, Sant'antonino
See the overview of destinations in the wider area: Haute-Corse.
