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THE GENOIS BRIDGE The Ponte Vechju spans the Tavignanu and allows easy access to the town, which is partly isolated by the waterways. Its qualification as a "Genoese bridge" comes both from its construction technique (a single arch in the form of a humpback, resting on two abutments and a narrow deck) and from the fact that it was built under Genoese rule. Installed at the narrowest point of the river, these bridges are remarkable for their solidity and their resistance to flooding. Mentioned in a document from the mid-16th century, the Ponte Vechju was redesigned and enlarged in the following centuries to adapt it to the requirements of modern traffic. The present bridge was built by the French monarchy. Its humpback shape was softened and arches were added to widen the passageway. It still retains its architectural interest. THE MILLERS Upstream of the bridge, you can still see several old hydraulic mills, now renovated as houses. They were fed by the Baliri canal. On the facades, at the base, the outlets, allowing the water to be evacuated, are still visible. Remnants of a time when agricultural activity reached its historical peak, these horizontal wheel mills transformed the local cereal and castanea production. In the district of Corte, in 1829, there were 323 mills which functioned thanks to the work of 418 men. This shows that at the beginning of the 19th century, the extent of cereal cultivation must have been important in the micro-region. ANCIENT CORTE The discovery of coins, ceramic shards and pieces of Roman tiles suggested that the site of Corte had been occupied during the Roman period. However, at the end of the 20th century, the discovery of the remains of thermal baths on the banks of the Tavignanu, downstream from the Ponte Vechju, confirmed the evidence of this Roman presence in the heart of the island. It is probable that all these elements belonged to the territory of the town of Talkinon mentioned by Ptolemy (2nd century) and situated further north. They could have been the outbuildings of an ancient villa located farther north than the settlement.

Corte

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