In 1924, the locals tore down the owl-haunted, "ivy-mantled" tower, fearing its imminent collapse.

WSJ: Meditation on Mortality | Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard | Thomas Gray | Masterpiece by John J. Miller

Crowned by saw tooth peaks, mantled in forest cloaks of green oak, chestnut and pine, and shot through with rushing rivers and tumbling cascades, Corsica is one of the most dramatic, diverse and downright gorgeous islands in the Mediterranean.

BBC: Lonely Planet's top European seaside escapes