Aleria

Aleria, also spelled Aléria, is a commune on the eastern coast of the island of Corsica, France. The area is best known for the archaeological site of the ancient city, which in antiquity was known as Alalia and later referred to as Aléria in Latin and in French.

Historically, the settlement at Alalia is generally dated to the mid-6th century BCE and is associated with Greek colonists, traditionally from Phocaea, who established a major trading center on Corsica. The site became a focal point of Greek, Phoenician, and local power struggles in the western Mediterranean. In the 5th century BCE, the Battle of Alalia pitted a combined Phoenician and Etruscan fleet against the Greek colonists. After this period, Greek influence in Corsica waned, and the area eventually came under Roman influence, with the site continuing to be inhabited into the Roman period as a municipium. The ancient city declined in late antiquity, and the modern settlement of Aléria grew nearby inland.

Archaeologically, the Aléria site presents a layered record from prehistoric times through the Roman era. Excavations have revealed fortifications, street patterns, and domestic remains that illustrate urban development across different cultural phases. A dedicated archaeological museum, the Musée d’Archéologie d’Aléria, collects artifacts from the area, spanning prehistoric artifacts to items from late antiquity. The coastal zone around the site is associated with an ancient harbor and a necropolis, offering insight into the daily and ceremonial life of past inhabitants.

Today the modern commune is small and rural, with an economy based on agriculture and tourism. Visitors are drawn to the archaeological site, the regional museum, and the landscape of the Corsican coast.