Founded by the Genoese in the 7th century, Porto-Vecchio is a very old town.
The Citadel of the upper town was built in 1539.
The Citadel was subsequently destroyed and rebuilt several times. Indeed, pirate attacks were numerous in the 16th century.
As a result, the town of Porto-Vecchio had its ups and downs.
The town and the south of Corsica were regularly devastated by malaria. A disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
Following the draining of the marshes on the east coast of Corsica, the disease was eradicated.
Today, tourism is the lifeblood of the town, with the other economic activity centred around the marina.