Domaine de Murtoli

Sartène

Corsica is known as « The Beautiful Island. » Saint-Exupery, author of « Le Petit Prince », called it a pink rock lying on the Mediterranean Sea although one could also describe it as a mountain rising up from the sea. Corsica is fascinating, thrilling, challenging although often frustrating because of its numerous contradictions.  It’s an island with a powerful identity although it has belonged successively to Rome, the Vandals, the Moors, Byzantium, Pisa and Genoa before becoming French two centuries ago.

Each of its former colonizers has left their mark here, but the Corsican character has above all been carved by its unique setting in the Mediterranean, with a thousand kilometers of coast and its legendary scrubland known as maquis which is the heart and soul of this rocky, green, generous and mysterious island.  

There are no less than 120 summits of 2000 meters or more and cities perched on the mountainside overlooking valleys overflowing with unspoiled nature. Sarténe for example, in the southern part of the island is, according to the author, Mérimée, the most Corsican of Corsican cities. Its Corsican type houses with gray facades, its granite ramparts and its labyrinth of narrow winding streets sum up the authenticity, the rural atmosphere and the enigmatic nature of the island. Not far from there, we discover an exceptional and ideal site for immersing oneself in the secrets of this gentle region, a venue also famous for the excellence of its hospitality.

An extraordinary property

The 2500 hectares that make up the Domaine de Murtoli are already an argument for staying here if, as the saying goes, true luxury often lies in the amount of space available. The Domaine however, also redefines the concept of luxury. Without any decorative opulence, excessive design or sophisticated technology, the site has become legendary with its traditional Corsican structures having been restored to create unique style accommodations. The 17 former sheep dwelllings and patrician houses offer guests a powerful and authentic look at the Corsican soul in all its splendor. Nature has been left intact, wild and preserved. The houses are in a lush green valley in the heart of the maquis or along the sea, hidden in ten kilometers of private beach.

Each house is isolated and completely integrated into the rough landscape where the guest becomes the privileged witness to a spectacular and atypical experience. The houses, most of them dating back to the 17^th century respect traditional architecture in their style and the choice of materials which includes typical red floor tiles known as tomettes and chestnut wood beams. Staying here is synonymous with returning to the past of a very proud region and discovering the roots of a rugged Corsican charm. Guests are recommended to lose their bearings and share in the site’s calm, simple and contemplative atmosphere. The pace of life here is punctuated by the whims of nature.

Hotel services are of course present as well as activities including hiking, horseback riding, hunting and fishing not to mention the Domaine’s spa. And yet, the high point of this experience is achieved by allowing one’s instincts to lead the way, awakening senses that have been forgotten for a long time. A perfect example can be found in the Domaine’s three restaurants.

Luxury here lies in the wealth of discovering one’s love of taking the time to enjoy the thousand and one sublime views. It’s a unique form of luxury that is impossible to find elsewhere.

For an even more intense immersion into life here, Sarténe’s impressive Good Friday procession known as La Catenacciu is highly recommended during which a penitent totally dressed in red celebrates the Passion of Christ...