250th anniversary of Corsica being sold to France.

[Scruffydog777]

I saw Lanfranchi Blanche Jean Baptiste, posted on FB that May 15th was the 250th anniversary of when Corsica was sold to the French. European history is an unbelievably complicated thing and that of course includes the history of Corsica.

Genoa at that time I beleive was best described as a Republic and Corsica was part of it.

Genoa was if not a possesion of the Spanish government, was certainly an ally in this period.

In the 17th century, almost half the population was killed by the plague which no doubt, damaged it's ability to ward off it's enemies.
Genoa was eventually occupied by Austria in 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession

Unable to retain its rule in Corsica, where the rebel Corsican Republic was proclaimed in 1755, Genoa was forced by the endemic rebellion to sell its claim to Corsica to the French, in the Treaty of Versailles of 1768.

It's not that simple. As part of that deal, the people of Corsica had to appeased within 10 years, but if I read things right, they weren't appeased, they were stabbed in the back and Corsica stayed a part of France.

Genoa.jpg

[CleverCowboy]

Thanks for the history. Unfortunately, life isn't long enough to know all that I want to know about world history, which I find fascinating.

250 years is a long time to be the property of another country. I can understand why the Corsicans would want their independence.

[Scruffydog777]

Well in some of our dealings for lack of a better word with Alizee and those around her, it's important for us to know what's important to them. I forget how it transpired but during the last presidential election, I thought Le Pen would be popular there because of her tough stance on immigration, but I found out through Lanfranchi Blanche Jean Baptiste that they did not like her because of her stance on Corsica's nationalism.

So I try to know at least the major things. I was curious as to how common are the feelingd on Corsica about nationalism and I think that the fact it looked like nobody there celebrated the 250th anniversary of them becoming part of France, says a lot.

[CleverCowboy]

Originally Posted by Scruffydog777

So I try to know at least the major things. I was curious as to how common are the feelingd on Corsica about nationalism and I think that the fact it looked like nobody there celebrated the 250th anniversary of them becoming part of France, says a lot.

All this talk about Corsica sparked my interest in the country and did a little bit of reading on its history. It is interesting to note that except for about 14 years in the 1700's when they had independence, Corsica has pretty much been occupied since ancient times. When it was part of the Roman Empire, it was considered "backwards", and the people were rebellious and fierce.

I would consider that the natives have more in common with Italy and not France. Alizee herself looks more Italian than French. So apparently Corsica welcomed being part of France for a time because they were part of a powerful state and the opportunities that it might bring. However, they lost a disproportionate amount of young men in WWI compared to France and its other territories, so maybe that started turning the opinion of the country away.

The bottom line is that Corsica seems to have always been fighting for its independence, so what is going on recently is nothing new. It just happens to be strategically placed in the Mediterranean Sea, so it has always been a target for occupation.

[Scruffydog777]

One thing I don't understand is their flag which if I'm correct, has a Moor's head on it. Why do they seem to show allegiance to some one else who conquered their country?

[CleverCowboy]

This is what I found:

THE FLAG OF CORSICA: THE STORY OF THE MOOR’S HEAD

A white background with the head of a moor. The head is in black, and wears a white bandana above his eyes. This is the famous Moor’s Head, the flag of Corsica. An ancient symbol.

Meaning and story

The flag of Corsica is a symbol of freedom. Its origin, such as the origin of the flag of Sardinia, is the battle of Alcoraz in 1096, during which King Peter I of Aragon defeated Moors during Spanish Reconquista. According to another version, the blindfolded moor refers to the Egyptian Saint Maurizio.

Whatever the origin of the flag is, the Moor’s Head was adopted by General of the Nation Pasquale di Paoli in 1755. This was also the flag of the ill-fated Corsican Republic. For many years the Moor’s Head fell in disuse. From 1980 it is the official flag of Corsica.

And the flag of Sardinia?

Most of you have surely noticed that the Moor’s Head on the flag of Corsica is the same one on the flag of Sardinia. The reason is this: the flag of Corsica is strictly related to the flag of Sardinia. In fact quattro mori (Four Moors) was the flag of Regnum Sardiniae et Corsicae.

[Scruffydog777]

Great find CleverCowboy!