Pascal Paoli (1725–1807) an iconic figure of Corsica, carries the island’s spirit of freedom, courage and pride like no one else. Born in 1725 in Morosaglia, in the heart of Castagniccia, he is known as the Father of the Corsican Nation.
After years of exile in Italy, Paoli returned to Corsica to lead his people toward independence. In 1755, he founded a pioneering republic with what is often considered the first modern democratic constitution, which inspired thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau or figures of the American Revolution. Under his governance, Corte became the intellectual and political capital of the island. It was there, that he founded the University of Corsica in 1765 to educate a national elite and enlighten the population.
His reign ended tragically in 1769. Genoa, bankrupt, secretly sold the island to France. The Corsican resistance was defeated by the troops of King Louis XV at the decisive battle of Ponte Novu, in the Golo valley – now a site of remembrance. Forced into exile once again, Paoli retreated to London, where he was welcomed as a hero by British political figures.
“Paoli made Corsica a nation, and made freedom its law.”
Napoleon Bonaparte