HERITAGE

Palazzu Nicrosi

Rogliano - France

Up in Cap Corse, where the island still feels wild, local and far from mass tourism, Palazzu Nicrosi is a 19th-century family house above Rogliano, with the sea in front and Italy on the horizon.

Countryside

Beach 6km

Pool

Library

Bike Rental

Hike

THE SETTING

Palazzu Nicrosi sits in Cap Corse, the long, narrow peninsula at the top of Corsica, where the island feels sharper and more exposed. Mountains drop toward the sea, villages cling to the slopes, Genoese towers watch the coast, and roads weave between maquis, vineyards, fishing ports, and views toward Italy.

Rogliano is one of the historic villages of the Cap, set above Macinaggio and made of several hamlets spread between mountain and water. From Palazzu Nicrosi, the eye travels across the Mediterranean towards the Finocchiarola islands, Capraia and Elba.

THE ROOMS

Palazzu Nicrosi has two rooms and three suites. The two rooms, Lydia and Bérénice, sit on the second floor and look towards the Mediterranean, the Italian islands and the village of Rogliano. They offer the simplest way to experience the house: high ceilings, old proportions, sea light, calm colours, and the feeling of sleeping in a family residence rather than a hotel.

The three suites — Pierre-Marie, Marguerite and Grégoire — give more space and a stronger sense of the palazzu’s scale. Pierre-Marie has a sitting area and a bathtub, with views towards the sea and Italian islands. Marguerite sleeps up to four guests and looks towards the sea, the islands, and the Cap Corse mountains. Grégoire opens towards the mountainside, with a quieter, more inland mood.

The interiors keep the 19th-century feeling close: tiled floors, tall windows, shutters, antique furniture, family pieces, soft colours, and the slight formality of a house made to receive.

THE FOOD

Breakfast is homemade and local in spirit, with Corsican flavours, family recipes, bread, pastries, jams, fruit juices, cakes, cheese and charcuterie.

The bar has a more intimate mood, with sofas, darker tones and the feeling of an evening room. It suits the house well: a drink after the beach, after a walk, or before driving down towards the coast for dinner.

For meals outside, the region does the rest. Macinaggio and Centuri are known for fish and lobster, and the small ports of the Cap have the kind of restaurants that make sense after a day on narrow roads and sea paths.

THE STAY

In the 19th century, many Cap Corse families left for the Americas, made money abroad, then returned to build large houses facing the sea. These ‘maisons d’Américains’ became signs of departure, success and return. Palazzu Nicrosi is one of the emblematic ones. The house has stayed in the same family since 1877. Paul and Aline Saladini later took it on and restored it as a small guesthouse, keeping the atmosphere of a 19th-century bourgeois residence.

Outside, the pool faces the sea from the garden. It feels like a stone basin rather than a resort pool, which suits the place perfectly. The solarium, trees, terraces and garden make it easy to stay at the house during the hottest hours of the day.

The former Clos Nicrosi cellar adds another layer. For decades, the family made its white wine here. Today, the space also holds the Palazzu craft brewery and the Giraglia liqueur project, with tastings possible by prior arrangement.

AROUND PALAZZU NICROSI

Macinaggio is the nearest coastal base, with its port, restaurants, boat trips and access to the Sentier des Douaniers. The coastal path runs from Macinaggio towards Barcaggio, Tollare, and Centuri, passing protected landscapes, Genoese towers, wild beaches, maquis, and open-sea views.

Tamarone, Barcaggio, Sainte-Marie, Cala Genovese and Cala Francese are among the beaches and coves to keep in mind, depending on season, wind and access. Some are reached by car, others by foot or boat.

Centuri is one of the most atmospheric ports of the Cap, especially for lobster and a late lunch by the water. Moulin Mattei, above the western side of the peninsula, offers one of the best viewpoints in northern Corsica, with the sea, Giraglia, and the Agriates in the distance.

Closer to the house, Rogliano has chapels, towers, old hamlets and walking routes through the village landscape. The ruins of Castello San Colombano and the Cap Corse ridges give a stronger sense of the area’s medieval and maritime past.

THE OWNERS

Aline and Paul Saladini run Palazzu Nicrosi.

Paul is a descendant of Pierre-Marie Nicrosi, the man who built the house after returning from America. The palazzu has always been part of his family story, a place of memory before it became a guesthouse. He studied law and worked as a lawyer before moving into real estate, then changed direction to bring the family house back to life. Aline, originally from Oletta, studied modern literature and worked in public administration before joining the project.

Together, they restored the house with a clear idea: to open it without turning it into a conventional hotel. The number of rooms remains small because the place was meant to keep the rhythm of a family residence.

GOOD TO KNOW

Palazzu Nicrosi has two rooms and three suites. Facilities include salons, a library, a bar, a smoking room, a garden, a solarium, a 40 m² pool and private parking.

The former Clos Nicrosi cellar now also houses the Palazzu craft brewery and Giraglia liqueur project. Visits and tastings can be arranged by prior request.

The property is open seasonally from May to September.

Bastia-Poretta Airport is around 1 hour 30 minutes away. A car is strongly recommended.

Rates start from €180 for a double.