The Mantinum project consists in creating an outdoor theatre at the base of the Bastia Citadel, in the north of Corsica, connecting the lower town with the upper town.
- 16 January 2020
This project foreshadows the Bastia of tomorrow, with movement from place to place that’s alternative and serene.
At the bottom of the palace of governors, the Mantinum (the name for Bastia in Ancient Rome) is an outdoor theatre located in front of the Old Port that will serve as a performance venue, but more importantly, allow to create a new living space. There will also be an exterior elevator connecting the lower town to the upper town.
The Mantinum will create the missing link between Terra Nova and Terra Vecchja, making it a place for interactions, walks and entertainment. The modifications in progress offer solutions in terms of accessibility, improving the connection between the Old Port and the Citadel, increasing attractiveness and developing tourism in the Citadel.
Places enshrined in the city’s heritageThe architect chosen for this construction is Buzzo Spinelli. The site itself, recognised as a historic monument, is enshrined in the city’s heritage, with many separate and contiguous historical entities:
the Citadel, a fortified complex protected by a series of walls and bastions, whose construction began in the 16th century and resumed several times in the 17th and 18th centuries;the former garden of the Genovese governors, abutting the palace;the Romieu garden, below the Saint Charles Bastion, and the imposing staircase connecting the dock and the upper town, represent the modifications made at the end of the 19th century, initiated when the Saint Charles ricciata was created in 1819.With respect to these major entities, the project delicately integrates with the landscape, the goal being to refine the space. The new lower door, including the wall elevator incorporated into the Bastion, the upper door evolving from the pinnacle and made up of smooth ramparts in the upper part, and finally, the outdoor Theatre blend smoothly into the landscape. All of the changes made create a common vocabulary, using the existing defence features as a benchmark, blending wall and mineral make up, and thickness.
Integration with the landscape and a common urban identity
This project’s specificity lies in its use of products resulting from the onsite excavation of rock (enabling it to incorporate the elevator) in the concrete composition. The latter is considered ‘dry’ site concrete, cast horizontally and hand tamped, referencing the stone bed of the walls and ramparts. The material is durable, incorporated in the site’s temporality and mineral make up. This construction method makes it possible to use materials from the site, making use of skilled craftsmanship.
The ‘wall’ elevator is a strong architectural design concept that resonates with the enormous Romieu staircase. It will completely reshape the relationship between the Old Port and the Citadel. More than a simple vertical link, it will create a true common urban identity capable of revitalising the neighbourhoods.
The outdoor Theatre, a new performance venue with a unique and stunning view, will have more than 600 seats and a standing room for 2 000 people. The Romieu Garden, now registered, will be given a new look, accommodating a Mediterranean garden that is gated, well lit and intended for educational use. Endemic species will be planted and the landscaping redesigned to open up a clear view of the Old Port.
Approximately 5 000 visitors are expected each year.
Total investment and European funding
The ‘Implementation of a pre-operational feasibility study and works to improve tourism at the Bastia Citadel’ project received a total investment of EUR 2 355 770; the European Regional Development Fund contributed EUR 1 413 462 under the ERDF-ESF Corsica cooperation programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the ‘improving living conditions in urban zones’ priority area.