A Journey into the Past...

Cargèse, the Greek Village. In 1676, a small colony of 600 Greeks from the village of Vitylo, located in the southern Peloponnese on the Mani Peninsula, fled Turkish occupation and landed at Capizzolu, a small beach north of Ajaccio (now the beach of Cargèse). They settled in Paomia, a location about 2 km from present-day Cargèse. The colony arrived with the approval of the Republic of Genoa, as Corsica was under Genoese rule at that time.

However, they were poorly received by the local population, who saw them as allies of the Republic of Genoa. At the time, Corsica was facing numerous Barbarian attacks and was under Genoese control, so the locals viewed the newcomers with suspicion, accusing them of seeking wealth on their land. In 1732, as tensions between the Corsican rebels and the Republic of Genoa escalated, the Greeks were forced to seek refuge in the *Umigna Tower* and later in Ajaccio. In 1768, Corsica was ceded to France. In 1773, the Greeks obtained permission from the French governor of the island, General Marbeuf, to settle in Cargèse, where they built 120 houses. They moved in by 1775, and Marbeuf was named the Marquis of Cargèse.

Over time, intermarriages between Corsicans and Greeks ensured the continuity of this community. To integrate further into the local population, Greek surnames were 'Corsicanized' (*Stephanopoulos* became *Stefanopoli*, *Papadakis* became *Papadacci*, *Dragatzkos* became *Dragacci*, etc.).

In Cargèse, two churches stand facing each other: one Greek and one Latin. The Greeks managed to preserve their Byzantine rites and Orthodox traditions through generations. Thus, they built *Saint-Spyridion Church* in the 19th century. Opposite it stands *Saint Mary of the Assumption Church*, which serves the local population and follows the Latin Catholic rite. A unique religious feature of Cargèse is that the Greek Orthodox community placed itself under the Vatican’s authority, like Catholics, to ensure the survival of their faith in a predominantly Catholic land. Today, services are conducted by *Father Tony*, who alternates between the Greek and Latin churches depending on religious celebrations.

Did You Know? In December 1942, the French submarine *Casabianca* landed at *Topiti*, a small cove in Cargèse. The submarine had departed from Algiers as part of *Mission Pearl Harbor*, bringing a commando unit to establish contact with the Corsican Resistance and aid in the island’s liberation from occupation. Due to a lack of precise enemy position knowledge, the team mistakenly landed at *Topiti* instead of *Chiuni*, an error that ultimately led to the mission’s success. Throughout 1943, thousands of munitions and radios were transported by the submarine, strengthening the resistance network. By October 1943, Corsica was liberated from enemy forces. This successful liberation inspired many French regional resistance groups to support the Normandy landings in July 1944.