CAVALLO, A ROBINSON DREAM

It is a dream destination… Cavallo - called Cavaddu in Corsican - a name that fascinates and invites one to let go…

Here, possibilities collide, old and new legends, wild nature and contemporary luxury. The only inhabited island of the lavezzi archipel, at the extreme south of Corsica. Cavallo is a granite pearl of 120 hectares, fashioned by the sun, the wind and the salt, covered by fragrant maquis and surrounded by a multitude of small, white sandy beaches, cradled by the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean sea. Located at the heart of the natural reserve of Bonifacio, the island has remained intact since nearly two millennia and reaps the benefits from an exceptional environment.

Since the roman abandon of the old quarries on the islet of San Bainzo in the south, in the 2nd century, and the establishment of a shepherd and its herd in 1800, the island is inhabited only by gray shearwaters and crested cormorants - birds with singular calls, that are a feature of the local fauna. Here, shipwrecks nourish local memory; the famous and tragic one of the frigate la Sémillante, which sank to the bottom on february 15th, 1855, with seven hundred and seventythree soldiers and crew on board - none of whom survived - continues to haunt the archipelago… An hallucinatory and romantic vision, the backdrop to a wild world, invaded by spirits, which overlaps with the modern and fascinating history of Cavallo.

INTREPID LANDSCAPES

Cavallo’s fate changed one morning in 1966. Jean Castel, star of the Parisian festivals and owner of the Éponyme club, guided by a friend, a fisherman from Bonifacio, toured the island and literally fell in love with it. He managed to acquire the property from the authorities, and built the Hôtel des Pêcheurs, the only official establishment remaining to this day. His friends were invited to establish the first houses, perpetuating the traditional sheepfolds, concealed in nature. About fifty of these houses were set out.

Victor-emmanuel of Savoy, Caroline of Monaco, are among the first to embark on the adventure; Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni, Bianca and Mick Jagger, lived their romantic lives here, that would make the successful and gossipprovoking pages of magazines of the time. Indeed, the bohemian spirit of these times combined with the idyllic, thoroughly preserved setting, is the perfect combination for this particular purpose. An exploration by sea is the ideal way to capture the beauty of the intrepid landscapes of Cavallo; well-sheltered bays on each of its fronts, with a multitude of succeeding coves, between a tumult of granite. We could easily imagine ourselves in a Mérimée novel or perhaps on a solitary Robinson Crusoe adventure. Alone ? almost…

JEWELS TO SEIZE

One of the oldest houses of the island is located in the Bay of Palma, at the east of Cavallo. With its fine sandy beach, this generously proportioned house is built in a traditional style. Protective and robust, made of dry stones and tiled roof, absolutely melted in nature. With large openings allowing light to enter from the outside. It is distinguished by the elegance of its landscaped park, a secret garden dwelled by native species flourishing among the rocks, surprisingly sheltered from prying eyes while offering a sublime view of the bay. This exceptional house, belonging to one of the emblematic persons of the island, testifies to the spirit of the early pioneers of Cavallo.

In the south of the island, facing Sardinia, hides a dazzling « landscape-house » carved into the rock, extended by a small white sandy beach, perfectly hidden in nature. A total daydream, embodied by a welcoming sculpture, feet in the water. Made by the famous architect Savin Couëlle in 1990, it is an architecture masterpiece in harmony with nature. Mainly vast elongated spaces, vaults deploying and levels echoing the external relief : it is a dialogue with nature as much as a technical feat. A manifesto for the one who passed away in june 2020 at the age of 91; Savin Couëlle perpetuates his work here on the sardo-corsican coastal housing and the desire to integrate architecture as much as possible into the landscape that welcomes it. Seen from the sea, the house seems like a shelter, coiled in a rocky chaos, nestled under terraces & shaded by branches. Far from the tumult, the marvellous cave and rock shelters, the large rounded bays, instill a timeless felling, away from the world.