Immediately after Bastia, on the road to Cap Corse, the steep slopes of the island come closer, covered in dense vegetation. The mainland seems far away. The narrow road meanders gently along the Mediterranean before turning towards the mountains and the hamlet of Pozzo, in Brando.

A bell tower comes into view amidst the pine and cypress trees. Keep your eyes peeled for the "cappuccini" sign (Capuchin monks lived here) to enter the building, which backs onto the church. The Pozzo convent, built in the 15^th century, is an unusual place. Immediately, your eye is drawn to the mesmerizing view, with the swimming pool and the island of Elba in the distance.

Apart from the magical location, this is primarily a family home that has borne witness to Corsica's history, and history in general. Once a novitiate, where young men prepared for religious life, the place was profoundly impacted by the French Revolution and acquired in 1796 by an ancestor of Emmanuelle Picon (Mattei, on her mother's side), the current owner, who now welcomes guests.

"The convent has been in the family for seven generations. As a child, I used to come here every summer," she said, having changed her life almost 10 years ago, after a career in Paris working in public relations and marketing. The house's survival was at stake: To maintain it and pass it on to future generations, it needed to be looked after daily.

Soak up time

Here, it's as if you've been invited over to the home of friends who have given over the space to soak up time. In the former monks' refectory, with its red terracotta floor, a majestic depiction of the Last Supper fits perfectly with the contours of the vaulted walls. Elsewhere, a crucified Christ and a Virgin visited by an angel decorate a room with their subtle presence. We're in Corsica, and Napoleon I makes appearances here and there, sculpted on a sideboard and painted on the back of pretty ceramic plates.

There are also various books that you can imagine were accumulated over the course of vacations: Henri Troyat, Françoise Sagan and Hervé Bazin were all read before a dip in the pool, or taken to the beach via the mule track down to Erbalunga marina. "A house like this requires delicate handling. I've tried to transform it as little as possible while respecting the spirit of the place," said Picon.

You don't stay at the convent as if you were in a hotel, but as a guest sharing your meals with the other residents. The ever-changing menus also tell the story of Ile de Beauté, the "Beautiful Island" as it is known in French: Comforting bastelle (turnovers with chard and brocciu), Bastia-style anchovies, smoked coppa ham, milk-fed veal, strong-flavored ewe's milk cheeses, exceptional lemon curd (made in the convent itself), Corsican honey and exquisite canistrelli cookies – all of which are washed down with a Ribella beer or a local Patrimonio wine. This Corsican PDO produces silky reds from the niellucio grape.

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