Pino
Pinu, 161 Population 0 to 836 meters 704 hectares
To discover
Origin of the Name
The name of the village of Pino refers to the Stone Pine, from the Latin Pinus pinea, which is commonly found in the Mediterranean basin.
Village Photos | Mill | Bread Oven | Bridge
Religious Heritage
Church of Santa Maria Assunta
The Parish Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (Santa Maria Assunta) dates back to the 18th century. It is a baroque building classified as a historical monument.
Chapel of Sainte-Lucie
Located at the pass of Sainte-Lucie at an altitude of 400 meters, connecting the two slopes of Cap Corse between the communes of Pino and Luri, the Chapel of Sainte-Lucie was built on the site of an ancient church of the same name.
Nearby was also the chapel of Santa Maria, of which no trace remains.
The road adjacent to the Chapel provides access to the Tower of Seneca.
Convent of Saint Francis (San Francescu)
Built in 1495 and preceding the construction of the Tour de Scalu, the Convent of Pino was an Observantine convent that could accommodate up to fifty Brothers, later becoming a Franciscan convent. It also served as a refuge for the population during raids.
After the French Revolution, numerous orders for its closure and the expulsion of the Franciscan Brothers were issued by the government. Each time, there was resistance and insular solidarity to preserve the convent.
As a mark of its historical and patrimonial value, the monument was featured in the "Heritage Lottery" program by Stéphane Bern in 2018. The Convent of Pino is currently undergoing restoration projects.
Learn more about the History of the Convent San Francescu of Pino
The Defensive Towers of Pino
Square Tower of Ciocce
Visible from the road while crossing the historic village in the eponymous hamlet, overlooking the sea from just over 100 meters in altitude, is the square tower of Ciocce. It features Pisan architecture and dates back to the 16th century.
The building has been entirely refurbished into guest rooms.
Scalo Tower
Also visible from the road, standing against the sea on a rocky coastal mound, the Genoese tower of Scalo (Scalu), also called the Tower of Pinu, is located 50 meters from the Convent of Saint Francis. It is partially destroyed. A little further north is the Marine of Scalo.
Seneca Tower (Torre di Seneca)
The Seneca Tower - named after the Roman philosopher exiled to Corsica in the 1st century - is situated near the pass of Sainte Lucie. Built on the ridge at an altitude of 560 meters, it allows surveillance of both the eastern and western shores of the island. Now in a state of ruin, it was constructed in the 14th century near another, older tower that had a cistern. It is this latter Tower that is said to have sheltered the Roman philosopher.
Tower of Pino
Raid and Betrayal of Filippu Arbellara (Mammi Pacha)
Pino is the birthplace of Filippu Arbellara. Having converted to Islam, he became a pirate of the seas and was known by his Turkish name, Mammi Pacha. In 1563, Mammi Pacha commanded an entire Turkish fleet that attempted to raid the village of Pino and came close to capturing the tower of Scalo, whose ruined state remains a marker of history. This Turkish defeat is attributed to the superior of the Convent San Francescu, who recognized Mammi Pacha as the child he had taught to read and write.
The latter, likely feeling a sense of shame, pretended to withdraw with his army before launching an assault on the neighboring villages of Centuri, Morsiglia, Barrettali, and Ogliastro - see the history of the tower of Albo - which they raided and plundered, massacring the inhabitants and taking hundreds of Corsican slaves.
