Only twenty kilometres from Ajaccio, the villages of Valle-di-Mezzana and Sarrola-Carcopino share the view of the Gravona valley... A short stroll from village to village...
From Ajaccio, take the departmental road 161, you will pass under one of the twenty-four aqueducts of the Gravona canal. Then you will take a winding road that will lead you to Valle-di-Mezzana. After the last hamlet of the village, the road continues towards Sarrola-Carcopino...
VALLE DI MEZZANA [Vaddi-di-Mizana]
Nestled at an altitude of 400 metres, the village of Valle-di-Mezzana can be reached via a winding road.
The hamlets
One of the particularities of this village is its construction in hamlets: Opapu , U Pughjali , U Casili but also Onda and U Sarumu.
They were originally family hamlets separated by gardens and even vineyards. One went from one to the other by paths that have now become the streets of the village.
The church of Saint Michael [Ghjesgia di Santu Micheli].
The parish church is a medieval church in which weddings, baptisms, communions and masses are celebrated. It plays an important role in the life of the village.
On the occasion of the patron saint's day, Saint Michael's Day, celebrated on 29 September, a mass is said there, followed by a procession.
Hiking trails
The mule tracks that linked Valle-di-Mezzana to the other villages in the canton have become hiking trails. The town hall and the Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays Ajaccien (CAPA) maintain them. Some of them, like the one atI Carbonari, bear witness to the charcoal-making activity that existed many years ago.
SARROLA-CARCOPINO [SARRULA-CARCUPINU]
The village
This village, which rises to an altitude of 450 metres, is composed of two hamlets, Sarrola and Carcopino. Perched on the hillside, it dominates the Gravona valley.
The church
Its parish church, located in the heart of the village next to the town hall and the local school, is of medieval origin. On 1 August, the Sarrolais celebrate St Peter, the patron saint of the village.
A densely populated commune
The commune of Sarrola-Carcopino extends as far as the industrial zone of Baleone. On the plain, commercial activity is dominant.
The agricultural activity is also quite dense, as shown by the diversity of the farms listed: livestock (cattle, goats, pigs), market gardening, wines, honey, vinegar, essential oils...
Once the visit of Sarrola-Carcopino is over, you will return to Ajaccio by the departmental road 1. On your right, you will notice the other part of the aqueduct under which you passed on your way to Valle-di-Mezzana...