Calvi, Haute-Corse

{{Other uses|Calvi (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Expand French|Calvi|topic=geo|date=December 2008}} {{Infobox French commune |name = Calvi |commune status = Subprefecture and commune |image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Calvi (Haute-Corse).svg |image flag = Flag of Calvi.svg |image = Calvi-Semper fidelis.jpg |caption = View of the citadel |arrondissement = Calvi |canton = Calvi |INSEE = 2B050 |postal code = 20260 |mayor = Ange Santini<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=12 March 2025|language=fr}}</ref> |term = 2020–2026 |intercommunality = Calvi Balagne |coordinates = {{coord|42.5686|8.7569|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |elevation m = 81 |elevation min m = 0 |elevation max m = 700 |area km2 = 31.20 |population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}} |population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}} |population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}} }}

'''Calvi''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|æ|l|v|i}} {{respell|KAL|vee}}, {{IPA|fr|kalvi|lang}}, {{IPA|it|ˈkalvi|lang}}, {{IPA|co|ˈkalvi|lang}}) is a ''commune'' in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. It is the seat of the Canton of Calvi and of the Arrondissement of Calvi.

According to legend, Christopher Columbus supposedly came from Calvi, which at the time was part of the Genoese Empire. Because the often subversive elements of the island gave its inhabitants a bad reputation, he would have been expected to mask his exact birthplace.

== Geography == thumb|Panorama of Calvi and its Gulf seen from Notre-Dame de La Serra|upright=2.4|left|465px Calvi is located on the northwest coast of the island of Corsica, {{convert|95|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Bastia and {{convert|24|km|mi|abbr=on}} from L'Île-Rousse. It is the fifth-largest commune in Corsica; however, the arrondissement is the smallest.

===Climate=== Calvi has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification ''Csa''). The average annual temperature in Calvi is {{cvt|16.4|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|652.8|mm}} with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{cvt|24.7|C}}, and lowest in February, at around {{cvt|9.4|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Calvi was {{cvt|42.1|C}} on 29 July 1983; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-5.6|C}} on 30 January 1963. {{Clear}} {{Meteo France |Town=Calvi |Sunshine= 2,713.4 |Rain=668.3 |Snow=1.6 |Storm=25.3 |Fog=0.5 }}

{{Weather box |location = Calvi, Haute-Corse (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1960–present) |metric first = Y |single line = Y |collapsed = y |Jan record high C = 23.3 |Feb record high C = 23.6 |Mar record high C = 28.8 |Apr record high C = 32.1 |May record high C = 36.0 |Jun record high C = 40.0 |Jul record high C = 42.1 |Aug record high C = 40.6 |Sep record high C = 37.4 |Oct record high C = 32.9 |Nov record high C = 29.8 |Dec record high C = 25.4 |year record high C = 42.1 |Jan high C = 14.0 |Feb high C = 14.2 |Mar high C = 16.4 |Apr high C = 19.1 |May high C = 23.1 |Jun high C = 27.2 |Jul high C = 30.2 |Aug high C = 30.2 |Sep high C = 26.4 |Oct high C = 22.4 |Nov high C = 17.8 |Dec high C = 14.9 |year high C = 21.3 |Jan mean C = 9.5 |Feb mean C = 9.4 |Mar mean C = 11.5 |Apr mean C = 14.0 |May mean C = 17.8 |Jun mean C = 21.8 |Jul mean C = 24.6 |Aug mean C = 24.7 |Sep mean C = 21.3 |Oct mean C = 17.7 |Nov mean C = 13.6 |Dec mean C = 10.6 |year mean C = 16.4 |Jan low C = 5.0 |Feb low C = 4.7 |Mar low C = 6.6 |Apr low C = 8.9 |May low C = 12.5 |Jun low C = 16.4 |Jul low C = 19.0 |Aug low C = 19.2 |Sep low C = 16.2 |Oct low C = 13.0 |Nov low C = 9.3 |Dec low C = 6.2 |year low C = 11.4 |Jan record low C = -5.6 |Feb record low C = -3.9 |Mar record low C = -4.6 |Apr record low C = -0.4 |May record low C = 3.7 |Jun record low C = 7.5 |Jul record low C = 10.6 |Aug record low C = 12.3 |Sep record low C = 7.9 |Oct record low C = 2.6 |Nov record low C = -2.3 |Dec record low C = -4.2 |year record low C = -5.6 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 50.3 |Feb precipitation mm = 53.5 |Mar precipitation mm = 58.9 |Apr precipitation mm = 55.8 |May precipitation mm = 40.8 |Jun precipitation mm = 32.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 7.6 |Aug precipitation mm = 23.3 |Sep precipitation mm = 59.1 |Oct precipitation mm = 79.2 |Nov precipitation mm = 115.4 |Dec precipitation mm = 76.7 |year precipitation mm = 652.8 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 6.1 |Feb precipitation days = 6.0 |Mar precipitation days = 6.4 |Apr precipitation days = 6.7 |May precipitation days = 5.0 |Jun precipitation days = 2.9 |Jul precipitation days = 1.0 |Aug precipitation days = 1.7 |Sep precipitation days = 5.5 |Oct precipitation days = 7.1 |Nov precipitation days = 9.2 |Dec precipitation days = 7.7 |year precipitation days = 65.4 |Jan snow days = 0.5 |Feb snow days = 0.6 |Mar snow days = 0.1 |Apr snow days = 0.0 |May snow days = 0.0 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.0 |Nov snow days = 0.1 |Dec snow days = 0.2 |year snow days = 1.6 |Jan sun = 132.7 |Feb sun = 150.0 |Mar sun = 204.6 |Apr sun = 237.9 |May sun = 296.1 |Jun sun = 330.9 |Jul sun = 370.6 |Aug sun = 331.3 |Sep sun = 247.0 |Oct sun = 189.6 |Nov sun = 131.8 |Dec sun = 123.3 |year sun = 2745.6 |source 1 = Meteo France<ref name=MFclimat1>{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191020175956/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_20050001.pdf | archive-date = 20 October 2019 | url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_20050001.pdf | title = Calvi (20) | work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records | publisher = Meteo France | language = fr | access-date = 8 September 2022}}</ref> }}

==History== Calvi was founded in the 13th century.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Calvi|volume=5|pages=70–71}}</ref> Its motto, "''Calvi semper fidelis''" ("Calvi Always Faithful"), referred originally to its loyalty to the Republic of Genoa, which instated there a closed city centre (''préside'') in 1278, and built a new castle in 1491 to face new artillery technologies.<ref>{{cite journal|language=fr|author=Catherine Herrgott|title=Les citadelles urbaines en Corse : patrimonialisation d'un territoire particulier|journal=Études caribéennes|issue=26 |date=2013-12-15|access-date=2017-05-16|url=http://etudescaribeennes.revues.org/6714|doi=10.4000/etudescaribeennes.6714|doi-access=free}}</ref> The motto originates from 1553 when Calvi repulsed two attacks by the French and Turks,<ref name="EB1911"/> aided by Corsican exiles.

In 1555 it was sacked by Dragut Reis and his Barbary pirates.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Nostradamus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GzvcTC3ck8YC&dq=1555+Corsica+Turgut&pg=PA91 |title=The Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus |last2=Reading |first2=Mario |date=2009 |publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. |isbn=978-1-906787-39-4 |language=en}}</ref>

During the war with Revolutionary France, British forces under Admiral Nelson and Lieutenant-General Charles Stuart captured the city in the Siege of Calvi in 1794. It was during the bombardment of Calvi that Nelson sustained the injury that cost him his eye. The town was retaken by Corsicans the following year.<ref name="EB1911"/>

==Population== {{Historical populations |align = none |cols = 2 |percentages = pagr |source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|6619|Calvi}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2023)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8643952?geo=COM-2B050#tableau-POPREF_G1 Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023], INSEE</ref> |1800 |1162 |1806 |1083 |1821 |1175 |1831 |1382 |1836 |1457 |1841 |1746 |1846 |1502 |1851 |1837 |1856 |1412 |1861 |2069 |1866 |1884 |1872 |2175 |1876 |1998 |1881 |2023 |1886 |1987 |1891 |2162 |1896 |2132 |1901 |1998 |1906 |2077 |1911 |2269 |1921 |2387 |1926 |2586 |1931 |2827 |1936 |2824 |1946 |2053 |1954 |2035 |1962 |2258 |1968 |2767 |1975 |3530 |1982 |3579 |1990 |4815 |1999 |5177 |2007 |5441 |2012 |5514 |2017 |5559 |2023 |5788 }}

==Economy== thumb|Port of Calvi The economy of Calvi is essentially based on summer tourism, which started in 1950 due to the pioneering efforts of Vladimir Raitz. Calvi is also home to the French Foreign Legions Second Foreign Parachute Regiment (2 REP), and relies heavily on the sustained business with their base, Camp Raffalli and its inhabitants.

==Transport== Calvi is served by the international Calvi - Sainte-Catherine Airport, the Xavier Colonna Port, and a metre-gauge railway line to L'Île-Rousse and Ponte-Leccia, connecting with the main line Ajaccio - Bastia.

==Monuments== *Tour du Sel and the citadel *Église Sainte-Marie de Calvi

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Calvi}} {{wikivoyage|Calvi}} * [http://www.villedecalvi.fr/ Official website] {{in lang|fr}}

<gallery> File:Calvi Port 1.jpg|The port citadel viewed from the port File:Corsica-calvi-panorama.jpg|The port, panoramic view from the Citadel File:Depuis la Serra.jpg|Calvi panorama File:Calvi West.JPG|Calvi viewed from the sea</gallery>

Category:Communes of Haute-Corse Category:Haute-Corse communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia Category:Subprefectures in France Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in France Category:Calvi, Haute-Corse