La Porta

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox French commune |name = La Porta |commune status = [[Communes of France|Commune]] |image = La Porta-St-Jean-Baptiste-1.jpg |caption = Church of Saint Jean-Baptiste |arrondissement = Corte |canton = Casinca-Fumalto |INSEE = 2B246 |postal code = 20237 |mayor = Pascal Biaggi<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020|language=fr}}</ref> |term = 2020–2026 |intercommunality = |coordinates = {{coord|42.4236|9.3533|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |elevation m = 520 |elevation min m = 220 |elevation max m = 1373 |area km2 = 5.16 |population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}} |population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}} |population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}} }}

'''La Porta''' ({{IPA|it|la ˌpɔrta}}, {{IPA|fr|la pɔʁta|lang}}; {{langx|co|A Porta d'Ampugnani}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Haute-Corse]] [[Departments of France|department]] of [[France]] on the island of [[Corsica]].

La Porta is situated in the heart of the ''Castagniccia'', of which this is the largest settlement. It formed the gateway (''porta'') to the ancient ''[[pieve]]'' of Ampugnani.<ref>Michellin, ''Corse'', s.v. "La Porta"</ref>

==Geography== Part of the [[Cantons of France|canton]] of the Fiumalto d'Ampugnani, La Porta on its spur of Monte San Petrone is sheltered among the [[chestnut]] woodlands on the slopes. This most remote and isolated area of north-western Corsica retains the last extensive stands of the old-growth chestnut forest that gave its name to the Castagniccia region (''castagna'', "chestnut"); the depopulation it has experienced since ca 1870, to 196 persons in 1999, have had the effect of preserving the traditional landscape.<ref>P.J. Perry, "Economy, landscape and society in La Castagniccia (Corsica) since the late eighteenth century" ''Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers'' '''41''' (June 1967:209-222) pp. 209, 211 and ''passim''. Perry notes that the two cantons of the Castagniccia supported nearly 9000 inhabitants in the early 19th century.</ref>

The hamlet of Poggiale, part of the commune which contains its reservoir, is sited somewhat further up the slope. To the northeast the village of Quercitello looks down upon La Porta. To the east, it faces the adjoining village of Ficaja.

===Climate=== La Porta has a [[warm-summer mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Csb''). The average annual temperature in La Porta is {{cvt|12.7|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|918.7|mm}} with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{cvt|21.2|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|5.5|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in La Porta was {{cvt|36.0|C}} on 11 August 2003; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-9.0|C}} on 9 January 1995. {{Weather box |location= La Porta (1981–2010 averages, extremes 1980−2014) |metric first= Y |single line= Y |Jan record high C = 21.0 |Feb record high C = 22.5 |Mar record high C = 27.0 |Apr record high C = 26.5 |May record high C = 32.0 |Jun record high C = 32.7 |Jul record high C = 35.0 |Aug record high C = 36.0 |Sep record high C = 31.5 |Oct record high C = 26.5 |Nov record high C = 24.5 |Dec record high C = 21.0 |year record high C = 36.0 |Jan high C = 8.6 |Feb high C = 9.2 |Mar high C = 11.9 |Apr high C = 14.9 |May high C = 19.5 |Jun high C = 22.9 |Jul high C = 26.2 |Aug high C = 26.0 |Sep high C = 21.6 |Oct high C = 16.9 |Nov high C = 12.2 |Dec high C = 9.3 |year high C = 16.6 |Jan mean C = 5.5 |Feb mean C = 5.7 |Mar mean C = 8.1 |Apr mean C = 10.8 |May mean C = 14.9 |Jun mean C = 18.3 |Jul mean C = 21.2 |Aug mean C = 21.2 |Sep mean C = 17.5 |Oct mean C = 13.5 |Nov mean C = 9.3 |Dec mean C = 6.5 |year mean C = 12.7 |Jan low C = 2.5 |Feb low C = 2.2 |Mar low C = 4.3 |Apr low C = 6.7 |May low C = 10.3 |Jun low C = 13.6 |Jul low C = 16.2 |Aug low C = 16.5 |Sep low C = 13.4 |Oct low C = 10.1 |Nov low C = 6.3 |Dec low C = 3.8 |year low C = 8.9 |Jan record low C = -9.0 |Feb record low C = -7.0 |Mar record low C = -7.0 |Apr record low C = -1.5 |May record low C = 1.5 |Jun record low C = 5.0 |Jul record low C = 7.0 |Aug record low C = 5.0 |Sep record low C = 5.0 |Oct record low C = 1.0 |Nov record low C = -3.0 |Dec record low C = -7.0 |year record low C = -9.0 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 83.3 |Feb precipitation mm = 60.8 |Mar precipitation mm = 78.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 93.8 |May precipitation mm = 68.6 |Jun precipitation mm = 38.4 |Jul precipitation mm = 22.9 |Aug precipitation mm = 32.1 |Sep precipitation mm = 73.2 |Oct precipitation mm = 120.1 |Nov precipitation mm = 117.4 |Dec precipitation mm = 129.9 |year precipitation mm = 918.7 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 7.3 |Feb precipitation days = 7.2 |Mar precipitation days = 7.1 |Apr precipitation days = 8.2 |May precipitation days = 6.3 |Jun precipitation days = 4.4 |Jul precipitation days = 2.6 |Aug precipitation days = 3.7 |Sep precipitation days = 5.6 |Oct precipitation days = 7.8 |Nov precipitation days = 9.8 |Dec precipitation days = 9.6 |year precipitation days = 79.8 |source 1 = Meteociel<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=20246001|title=Normales et records pour La Porta-Gend (2B)|publisher=Meteociel|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>}}

==History== The comparative prosperity of the 17th and 18th centuries was based on valuable timber exported from the chestnut forests and a leather industry based on chestnut [[tannin]]s, while the sweet chestnut remained the staple crop of the common people, and chestnut flour was exported, though with very considerable annual variations, which led to uncertainties in the local economy.<ref>Perry 1967.</ref>

==Population== {{Historical populations |align=left| 1962|315| 1968|358| 1975|382| 1982|422| 1990|248| 1999|196| 2008|246| }}

==Sights== In this compactly nucleated village, the vernacular houses with austere fronts are built of schist, [[fieldstone]] and slate, with some stuccoed and painted walls, interspersed with a handful of larger houses of local notables.

The [[Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de La Porta|church of Saint Jean Baptiste]] and its ambitious [[campanile]] are more than local landmarks, the pride of the village and the most famous<ref>According to Michelin, ''Corse''.</ref> masterpieces of the late Baroque [[architecture of Corsica]]. The church was built from 1680 and provided with a facade designed by the Milanese architect [[Domenico Baïna]], which was completed about 1707. Baïna also designed the sumptuous campanile that rises in five stages to 45 meters, and is visible far and wide, finished about 1720. The interior frescoes ''en camaïeu'' were carried out in the 1880s by Girolamo dela Porta.

==Personalities== La Porta was the birthplace of [[Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta]] (1771–1851), a Corsican soldier and diplomat for [[Napoleon]], and a politician who served as [[List of Naval Ministers of France|Naval Minister]], [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]], and [[Minister of State]] under the [[July Monarchy]].

==Transportation== Corsican Routes D405 and D515 serve the village.

==See also== *[[Communes of the Haute-Corse department]] *[[Laporta (disambiguation)|Laporta]]

==References== {{reflist}}

[[File:La Porta-village-2.jpg|thumb|left|The village and the [[Terrace (agriculture)|terraced slopes]], seen from the road to Ficaja]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porta}} [[Category:Communes of Haute-Corse]]