Stairs Of The King Of Aragon: A Place You Should Know
The Stairs of the King of Aragon are one of the most unique and attractive points in the city of Bonifacio, located on the southern coast of Corsica. It is, as its name indicates, a staircase, that simple. But, yes, they are carved with absolute precision in the rock of the very cliff on which the city rises.
It is, therefore, a most curious place with a powerful aesthetic. Do you want to know more about these stairs? Keep reading and we’ll tell you about it.
A city that looks out to sea
Although we are going to talk mainly about the Stairs of the King of Aragon, it is worth knowing something about the city that welcomes them. Bonifacio is a city that overlooks the sea, and anyone who visits it ends up considering it one of the jewels of Corsica. Or what is the same: one of the most beautiful places in the entire Mediterranean Sea.
The walk through the streets of its old town is of enormous charm. And all, with the incentive of the wonderful surprises that the different viewpoints that give us a wide maritime panorama represent.
In this panoramic view , the tiny set of islands and islets of Lavezzi are discovered in the vicinity, which can be easily reached from the port of Bonifacio. And it is that up to that point different boats approach to be able to dive among a coral reef that is among the most striking in the entire Mediterranean basin.
The descent of the Stairs of the King of Aragon
The best point to contemplate the Stairs of the King of Aragon is from the sea. This is how its absolute geometric perfection is seen, as if it were a large tube carved out of the rock, forming a diagonal of exactly 45 degrees. Thus, draw a line that joins the highest part of the cliff with practically sea level.
Once this view from the sea has been assimilated, it can be appreciated much better from land. That is, descending through them. Of course, it is a tourist attraction that you have to pay for. However, it is worth going down its 187 rock steps, which lead to a small cave at sea level where it seems a miracle that a fresh water spring emerges.
The history of the Stairs of the King of Aragon
The truth is that this water well is the true reason for the existence of the Stairs of the King of Aragon. It was the Franciscan monks established in Corsica who carved out this descent in the middle of the Middle Ages. The reason was to be able to stock up on water.
But how did they know there would be water down there? In fact, those friars did not discover it. The existence of this source was known long before. So much so that archaeologists say that before the monks carved this path there was already a much rougher and more dangerous descent from the distant Neolithic times.
The legend of the Stairs of the King of Aragon
And now it’s time to relate the legend of this place and thus understand why they are called Escaleras del Rey de Aragón. In the 15th century, when the Kingdom of Aragon was a true power in the Mediterranean that reached Greece, the troops of Alfonso V the Magnanimous would reach Corsica around 1420.
They besieged the city of Bonifacio for a time and legend has it that the soldiers of the Aragonese monarch decided to try to take over the city by building these stairs, which they would have carved in a single night. Something quite improbable and that, in any case, did not lead to success, since they did not finally win Bonifacio.
It is a place that no one should miss during a holiday in Corsica. Without a doubt, it is one more example of how sometimes human beings, for reasons as simple as accessing a fresh water well, are capable of constructing truly surprising works worthy of being known during our travels.
