Bastelica is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica. It was the birthplace of Sampiero Corso. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Bastelicais, Bastelicaises, or Bastilcacci.

Geography

Bastelica is located in the interior of the island in the high valley of the Prunelli south-west of the Monte Renoso massif of which it shares the summit at 2352 m of Monte Renoso with Bocognano and Ghisoni. It is also part of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica. It is some 18 km east of Ajaccio (in a straight line). It has many pastures planted with chestnut trees. Access to the commune is by the D27 from Cauro in the south-west which passes through the length of the commune and the village before continuing north to Bocognano. The D27A goes east from the village to the mountain heights but has no exit. The D3 branches from the D27 south of the village and goes south-west to join the Route nationale N196 near Ajaccio. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Vignola and Radicale to the south. The commune is rugged and mountainous. Bastelica has no less than 16 adjacent communes and is one of the six communes in the Community of communes of the Valley of the Prunelli. It was once the chief town of the Canton but is now a part of the Canton of Gravona-Prunelli which has its seat in Afa. The intersection of the 42nd parallel North and the 9th meridian East of Greenwich is in the commune (see the Degree Confluence Project).

Climate

Bastelica has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb). The average annual temperature in Bastelica is 12.5 C. The average annual rainfall is 1332.8 mm with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 21.1 C, and lowest in January, at around 5.2 C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Bastelica was 40.0 C on 23 July 2009; the coldest temperature ever recorded was -12.0 C on 11 February 1986.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 533 inhabitants.

Education

The commune has a public primary school.

Sports

The Val d'Ese ski resort is located in the commune.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has two sites that are registered as historical monuments:

Religious heritage

Environmental heritage

Bastelica is part of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica in the "Land of Life" called Gravona. The commune has eight 2nd generation ZNIEFF areas:

Notable people linked to the commune