Editing Bastia (section)

===Middle Ages===
At the end of the 9th century, the territory or ''pieve'' of Mantino depended on the lords ''Loretesi''.<ref group="Note">Alberto de Loreto was one of the companions of [[Oberto I]], a descendant of Boniface, Marquis of Tuscany, in his military expedition to conquer the north-east of Corsica</ref> They were driven out in 1072 by the Da Furiani, ''Aschesi'' or ''Laschesi'', aided by the [[Marquis of Massa]].

In 1370, the [[Republic of Genoa]] sent two governors to Corsica: Leonello Lomellino and Aluigi Toriorino. Shortly afterwards, considering the great expense and little profit in Corsica, the Republic decided to withdraw and no longer intervene in the affairs of the island. Nevertheless some Genoese gentlemen formed a partnership known as the [[Maona]] to try and manage the economy on the island on behalf of the Republic of Genoa. The five partners were: Leonello Lomellino, Giovanni da Balagnera, Aluigi Tortorino, Andreolo Ficone, and Cristoforo Maruffo. They all came with the title of Governor and brought with them a thousand soldiers.<ref name="Grossa">Giovanni della Grossa in ''Croniche'', translation by Lucien Auguste Letteron: ''History of Corsica – Vol. 1'' {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

After an expedition to Cinarca followed by a short period of peace, Leonello Lomellino returned as governor and to gain an advantage over the Count [[Arrigo della Rocca]] with whom he would have to fight, he began by fortifying [[Aléria]]. " Then Count Arrigo and his allies once again crossed the mountains and made incursions against Cap Corse: having met no resistance, they went to besiege Aléria which capitulated after four months. Leonello, deprived of all support, returned to [[Biguglia]] and from there he went to build the castle of Bastia to maintain his sea communications".<ref name="Grossa"/><ref group="Note">In a footnote (p. 233) to ''History of Corsica'' – Vol. I, Abbot Letteron wrote: "The foundation of Bastia is generally fixed on the year 1378 but ''The Bastia'' was not built until a few years later as there were several wars between that event and the institution of the Maona" {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

:''"Between the second half of the 12th century and the middle of the 13th century the feudal system was in place at all levels of society and new links were created between the elite of the aristocracy and the [[Maritime republics]], between representatives of the island's nobility, and between them and the poor. At the same time castles multiplied. They were then owned by fifteen noble families of local or peninsular origin, sometimes fragmented into independent lordships or even [sic] rivals: {{ill|Bagnaia family|lt=Bagnaia|fr|Famille De Bagnaia}}, Amondaschi, Cortinchi, Pinaschi de Coasini, Lotreto de Nebbio, Loreto de Casinca, Orezza, Avogari, Camilla, Turca, Pevere, de Mari (from the mid-13th century only), and the ''Marquis de Massa and Corsica''".''

–  Daniel Istria – Powers and fortifications in northern Corsica 11th – 14th Century p.&nbsp;145

According to Giovanni della Grossa, the "seigneurialisation" of Loreto would have been, as with Genoese families of the Cape, usurping the County title acquired during the "people's government". Small lordships that emerged from the courts of the Bishop of Nebbio, probably sometime in the second half of the 12th century or the beginning of the 13th century, were partly absorbed by the lords of Bagnaia before 1247. Then, before 1289, they were recovered and absorbed, like many others in the new lordship of Giovanninello de Loreto. Taking advantage of the Genoese-pisano rivalries, he extended his possessions to the east and west.

Written documentation illustrates the business of territorial conquest conducted by Giovanninello during the years 1260–1280. After raiding the castles of Nebbio and Pureto in the [[Ostriconi]], he went on to the conquest of the pieve of [[Orto, Corse-du-Sud|Orto]], which was then under the control of Bagnaia, and he built two new fortifications: Montebello and Petra di Bugno. These were intended not only to dominate and control the northern part of Bagnaia, whose Cerlino Lake had a certain economic interest, but probably also to neutralise Porto Cardo, which occupied a strategic military position as well as having businesses. It was here that the fortress of Bastia was erected, the residence of the Genoese governors from the 15th century. The agreements between Giovanninello and the commune of Genoa in 1289 demonstrated the importance of this baronial control of land routes and anchorages, a major source of revenue and a guarantee of the security of the territory.<ref>Daniel Istria – ''Powers and Fortifications in the north of Corsica 11th–14th century'' p. 122 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>