In this place where time seems to stand still, generations come and go, but the stones, the olive trees and the mountains remain the unchanging witnesses of our story.
OUR STORY
l’omi caminanu è e muntagne stanu ferme
The legacy of the sgió
In the beginning, there was the land. The sgió Joseph-Marie Bonaccorsi is its most fervent witness. A wealthy landowner, he embodied the Corsican lord of old, a pioneer of the agro-pastoral society that gave Balagne its architectural identity. At that time, the title of sgió was reserved for the island's elite. So it was that in Calenzana, the sgió Bonaccorsi lived off their olives and grapes. They settled in a house overlooking the Bay of Calvi. The signora Mariette, Joseph-Marie's wife, straight from Florence, modelled their home on her memory of the Palazzo Bargello: today's Maison du Prince Pierre was born.
“Over there in Balagne, the all-powerful Bonaccorsi reign. Their house could be a palace.”
They had seven children, among them Olinthe, the sgió Lintu, a close friend of Prince Pierre-Napoléon Bonaparte, then exiled to Calenzana after the murder of Victor Noir. The two idle friends devoted themselves to revelry and the arts. The colonnaded terrace became a true political and artistic meeting place.
Prince Bonaparte's refuge
Prince Pierre-Napoléon Bonaparte stayed at the house ever more often, and it became his true place of rest. Drawn by the serenity of the setting and the majesty of the view, and inspired by the mountains, he wrote his poems here. The best known were published in 1865 in the epic work La Battaglia Di Calenzana, poemetto storico. In it, the prince speaks of his attachment to his Corsican roots and to Balagne, which inspired him so deeply. Calenzana owed him its public water source at the time. In 1896, shortly after his death, the village dedicated its fountain to him, on Place du Prince Pierre, in recognition of his commitment to Calenzana.
Quel raggi di beltà, del suol paterno
Ornamento e splendor, l' alme fanciulle;
Le donne auguste per l' amor materno,
Dei talami custodi e delle culle,
Mi tornan con la mente ai gioghi tuoi * (...)
* Those rays of beauty, ornament and splendour of the paternal land, the young maidens; The women august through maternal love, guardians of hearths and cradles, carry me back to your peaks (...), The Battle of Calenzana, Pierre-Napoléon Bonaparte, 1865.
Family spirit
The years have passed, but rays of light still caress the same old terracotta tiles, the vine slowly claims the façade, and the old press of the olive estate, weighed down by the years, still reigns in silence.
At La Maison du Prince Pierre, we have made the legacy of the sgió and of Prince Pierre-Napoléon Bonaparte a passionate priority. Every stone, every corner tells a story, and we take care to renew this heritage as a family, with the utmost attention. Authenticity is at the heart of everything: we restore with respect for the old building and invite our guests to recharge and reconnect with what truly matters. The house becomes a space of rest and inspiration, where every stay is an interlude of serenity and contemplation.
***
"Here, in the shadow of the mountains, the footsteps of men mingle with memories, while the house, rooted in its heritage, goes on living, protecting and inspiring."