The name Calvi comes from the Latin, calvus, which means "bald", in reference to the bare rocky outcrop on which the citadel is built. The citadel district on the rocky spur represents six centuries of Genoese presence. The ochre-coloured ramparts and bastions of the heavily protected citadel overlook the lower town and the port. The historic town is depicted by steep narrow lanes, sloping squares and staircases, lined by houses that are gradually being restored.