Col de San Quilico
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| Col de San Quilico | |
|---|---|
| Bocca di San Quilicu (Corsican) | |
 View of the pass | |
| Elevation | 559 m (1,834 ft)[1] |
| First Approach | |
| Length | 16.3 kilometres (10.1 mi) |
| Traversed by | T20/T203 |
| Ascent from | Golo valley (north) Ponte-Leccia |
| Second Approach | |
| Length | 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) |
| Traversed by | T20/T203 |
| Ascent from | Tavignano valley (south) Corte |
| Range | Monte San Petrone Massif |
| Coordinates | 42°20′52″N 9°10′24″E / 42.34778°N 9.17333°E |
   | |
The Col de San Quilico or collo di San Quilico (Corsican: Bocca di San Quilicu) is a mountain pass in the Haute-Corse department of Corsica, France. It is a road pass on Territorial Route 20, between Corte and Ponte Leccia (Morosaglia).
Topography
The Col de San Quilico is located at an altitude of 559 metres (1,834 ft) below the ridge line of a mountain range oriented from west to east, connecting the 1,951 metres (6,401 ft) Pinerole to the west to the 1,473 metres (4,833 ft) Punta di l'Ernella to the east. The ridge runs through via the Lorca territorial forest and may also be crossed by the 654 metres (2,146 ft) Bocca d'Ominanda and the 811 metres (2,661 ft) Pinzalaccio. A large part of the ridge line defines the border between the municipalities of Soveria and Tralonca.
The section of the mountain range holding the San Quilico pass divides the central depression or furrow of the island into two zones:
- to the north, the Ponte-Leccia basin;
- to the south, the Cortenais.
The Col de San Quilico connects the Golo valley, Bastia and the Balagne region to the north, with the Centre Corse (Centru di Corsica) to the south, the Tavignano valley and the east coast of the island, and (beyond the Col de Vizzavona) to Ajaccio and the west coast.
In the immediate environment are:
- to the north, the valley of the Ruisseau de Forcalello[2] (or Ruisseau de Santa Maria, as it is called further downstream), a tributary of the Ruisseau de Sumano,[3] a tributary of the Golo river;
- to the south, the valley of the Ruisseau de San Quilico[4] (or Ruisseau de Bistuglio), a tributary of the Tavignano river near the town of Corte.
On the northern slope, the plant cover is made up of groves of holm oaks and cork oaks, more verdant than on the south side, where only low and sparse maquis grows.
