Visit once or many times, and (re)discover the masterpieces and the riches of the prehistoric site of Filitosa, (re)crossing the site as though you were back there.
The monuments and archaeological remains are described in the order that visitors reach them.

The excavations lead by the CNRS archaeologist Roger Grosjean have revealed an extraordinary site: a vast architectural ensemble comprising a Cyclopean (dry stone) enclosure, three Torréen monuments, sixteen statue-menhirs, close to thirty-two fragments of sculpted menhirs, a village of shacks, as well as the remains of various excavated objects such as fragments of ceramics or weapons.

From the reception, you follow the access route to the site. From the entrance, on the right, you leave the archaeological museum, which visitors are recommended to visit on their return from the walk.

75m from there, just after the long, granite-paved walkway, on the little butte, Corsica’s second biggest statue-menhir, Filitosa V (3m high, 1m large, more than 2 tonnes in weight) has been re-erected. The only one on the island with two life-sized swords. On the front, it is armed with, in bas-relief, a long sword and a dagger in its riveted scabbard; on the back anatomical and clothing details can be seen.

Having travelled 250m further, you arrive in front of the "Cyclopean" fortified dry stone enclosure which seals off the promontory and surrounds the main site, measuring 130m in length by 40m wide. This fortified course is made up of connected blocks of stone.

Immediately to the left, going into the site, is the Eastern monument, which probably dates from the Torréen era. This is a rounded barrow monument, decorated on the outside, with an as-yet undetermined purpose. Today, only the access ramp and platform remain.

Going 40m further on, we reach the Central monument, the village tower or Torréen monument thought to be Ťreligiousť. All the fragments of standing stones here have been recovered from the circular, external facings or picked up from the rubble; they are leant or erected as close as possible to their site of discovery. From left to right can be seen, re-erected on the monument, the upper parts of the following statues (Filitosa I, Filitosa XI, Filitosa VII, Filitosa IX, Filitosa X, Filitosa XIII). On the inside, at the centre of the cella (the inner chamber of a temple), is a fragment of baked clay soil. This suggests a place where ritual fires or funerals were practised.

Going around to the north of the central monument, you arrive at the standing stone of Filitosa VI, equally shattered, and of which only three fragments have been found. It's in an evolved style. Face and sword executed in bas relief. Regular lines. A prominent nose and eyebrow arches are clearly visible in relief on a head which also seems to be wearing a kind of helmet.

Going down a little way, you discover the imposing rock marking the west point of the promontory, at the foot of which the Torréen civilisation built an important complex of monuments. Before it you can see a cavity of Dolmen appearance, open to the south, and a slab of rock originally set up at its base, which made up part of the megalithic enclosure.

At the foot of the great rock is the Western monument. Built in an angle of the promontory, it overhangs the confluence of the Barcajolo and the Taravo valley. A circular facing of a height of three to four metres encircles this monument complex.. The accepted entrance alongside a large slab of rock opens out into a large chamber cut in two by a central wall. A corridor where two passageways have been bored through, gives access to the other part of the chamber. The monument used to encompass the whole of the rocky promontory serving as a defensive and dominant model.
Taking the route across the natural rocky formations, you pass behind the rock shelter, open to the north, which served successively as habitat and burial place during the course of the site's occupation.

To reach the row of five statue-menhirs re-erected in the valley at the foot of the thousand-year-old olive tree, you cross the Barcajolo stream (Filitosa III, Filitosa IV, Filitosa I, Tappa I, Filitosa II). These statues, the first spotted at Filitosa, were discovered face down. For ease of visiting and examining them, they have been gathered together at this site, opposite the promontory.

Going a little higher, you can make out a rocky promontory from which the blocks of stone, the main material for the creation of the edifices and statues here, were extracted. The granite quarry in question was rediscovered during the tunnelling works on the butte opposite the promontory with the torre (towers) on it.
On the way back to the site, it is possible to see, in a limited area, the stacked-up blocks laid out to form the external enclosure of the promontory.

Finally, going back up, here are the Torréen village shacks. They sit above the older archaeological layers represented by the fire pits.

A little way off, to the south-west of the shacks can be seen the rock shelter which provided, from its lower layers, the shards of the characteristic earthenware pottery of the ancient Neolithic Mediterranean, vestiges of the oldest occupation of the site. The rock shelter presumably served as the basis of a vaster, covered sanctuary.

On your arrival back, before you leave, the museum has additional information for the visitor. The details that you'll find inside will allow you to enter more deeply into the daily life as well as the customs and beliefs of all the people who have succeeded one another at Filitosa. You will discover there, exhibited in chronological order, excavated remains such as ancient ceramics and fragments of tools, but also documents, photographs and fascinating plans explaining Prehistory.

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