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Description
Bonifacio (Bunifaziu in Corsican) is a town near the southern tip of the island of Corsica.

Bonifacio is split into two sections. The vieille ville (old town), or la Haute Ville (the Upper city), on the site of a 9th century citadel, is located on a peninsula overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the inhabitants reside in the Haute ville. The harbor below, la marine which is at the end of a fjord-like inlet that provides a natural harbor, is a port for a large number of fishing and tourist boats.

The upper city resides on a high cliff of limestone (with a high dolomite content - i.e. Ca has been replaced with Mg), that limestone is very pure as as such it can be snow white in the right light.

In this photo we look towards the upper city, or rather the VERY massive fortress walls that protect the old city form dangers - especially saracen pirates were a danger to the city, which resulted in these walls and a citadel (on the other side of the town) to be built. Building started in the 9th century, the current form of the bastions was reached in the 16th century.

As you can see errosion is alreay eating away at the rock under the houses and some already hang over the edge - in a few decades (or even years in a bad case) several houses will fall into the sea when enough rock has been eroded. In the foreground is the small chapell St. Roch. The ramp to the right of it that leads to the city wall was for a long time the only entrance (Porte de Gènes) into the city proper. 8 gates and a drawing bridge protected this entrance to the Bastion de l'Etenard (16th centruy) one had to pass through.
Today only the final gate with the drawing bridge remains in a significant way.

Description
Bonifacio (Bunifaziu in Corsican) is a town near the southern tip of the island of Corsica.

Bonifacio is split into two sections. The vieille ville (old town), or la Haute Ville (the Upper city), on the site of a 9th century citadel, is located on a peninsula overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the inhabitants reside in the Haute ville. The harbor below, la marine which is at the end of a fjord-like inlet that provides a natural harbor, is a port for a large number of fishing and tourist boats.

The upper city resides on a high cliff of limestone (with a high dolomite content - i.e. Ca has been replaced with Mg), that limestone is very pure as as such it can be snow white in the right light.

In this photo we look towards the upper city, or rather the VERY massive fortress walls that protect the old city form dangers - especially saracen pirates were a danger to the city, which resulted in these walls and a citadel (on the other side of the town) to be built. Building started in the 9th century, the current form of the bastions was reached in the 16th century.

As you can see errosion is alreay eating away at the rock under the houses and some already hang over the edge - in a few decades (or even years in a bad case) several houses will fall into the sea when enough rock has been eroded. In the foreground is the small chapell St. Roch. The ramp to the right of it that leads to the city wall was for a long time the only entrance (Porte de Gènes) into the city proper. 8 gates and a drawing bridge protected this entrance to the Bastion de l'Etenard (16th centruy) one had to pass through.
Today only the final gate with the drawing bridge remains in a significant way.