Bastia is built between sea and mountain. It is the second most populated city in Corsica. In the 16th century, the site of the current citadel is chosen by the Genoese to erect a protective fortress. Bastia owes its name to this bastiglia. It became the Island of Beauty's capital. It was surrounded by ramparts a century later. Nowadays it is the main commercial city of the territory thanks to its commercial port, the second French port for both goods and passenger traffic.