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Article: Corsica. (includes related article)
- Article from:
- Europe
- Article date:
- February 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Delegation of the European Commission. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Corsica guards a freshness and greenery almost unheard of in the Mediterranean of today and the French description of the island as the ile de beaute (beautiful island) is not a glib slogan dreamed up by the modern tourist industry. Corsica's beauty was praised by artists such as the writer Gustave Flaubert and the painter Henri Matisse.
Somewhat earlier, namely in the 6th century BC, the Greeks from Asia Minor, who settled there, called the island kalliste (the most beautiful). The 19th century writer Guy du Maupassant coined another apt description, "mountain in the sea."
The mountains that dominate most of the island, are the key to understanding the ...