Calvi, Haute-Corse

Calvi is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.

It is the seat of the Canton of Calvi, which contains Calvi and one other commune, Lumio. Calvi is also the capital of the Arrondissement of Calvi, which contains, besides the Canton of Calvi, three other cantons: L'Île-Rousse, Belgodère, and Calenzana. According to legend, Christopher Columbus supposedly came from Calvi, which at the time was part of the Genoese Empire. Because the often subversive elements of the island gave its inhabitants a bad reputation, he would have been expected to mask his exact birthplace.

Geography
Calvi is located on the northwest coast of the island of Corsica, 95 km from Bastia and 24 km from L'Île-Rousse. It is the fifth-largest commune in Corsica; however, the arrondissement is the smallest.

Climate
Calvi has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). The average annual temperature in Calvi is 16.4 C. The average annual rainfall is 652.8 mm with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.7 C, and lowest in February, at around 9.4 C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Calvi was 42.1 C on 29 July 1983; the coldest temperature ever recorded was -5.6 C on 30 January 1963.

History
Calvi was founded in the 13th century. Its motto, "Calvi semper fidelis" ("Calvi Always Faithful"), referred originally to its loyalty to the Republic of Genoa, which instated there a closed city centre (préside) in 1278, and built a new castle in 1491 to face new artillery technologies. The motto originates from 1553 when Calvi repulsed two attacks by the French and Turks, aided by Corsican exiles.

In 1555 it was sacked by Dragut Reis and his Barbary pirates.

During the war with Revolutionary France, British forces under Admiral Nelson and Lieutenant-General Charles Stuart captured the city in the Siege of Calvi in 1794. It was during the bombardment of Calvi that Nelson sustained the injury that cost him his eye. The town was retaken by Corsicans the following year.

Economy
The economy of Calvi is essentially based on summer tourism, which started in 1950 due to the pioneering efforts of Vladimir Raitz.

Transport
Calvi is served by the international Calvi - Sainte-Catherine Airport, the Xavier Colonna Port, and a metre-gauge railway line to L'Île-Rousse and Ponte-Leccia, connecting with the main line Ajaccio - Bastia.

Monuments

 * Tour du Sel and the citadel
 * Église Sainte-Marie de Calvi