It was in Ajaccio, where he was born on 15 August 1769, that Napoleon Bonaparte spent his childhood and part of his youth. He stayed there for the last time in 1799 on his return from Egypt.
His memory is still present in the Ajaccio region. The imperial city has a very important Napoleonic heritage: museums, squares and emblematic statues...
THE MUSEUMS
MAISON BONAPARTE
Napoleon was born in this house on 15 August 1769.
The emperor's birthplace houses a museum dedicated to the Bonaparte family. Furniture, paintings and decorations take you back to the atmosphere of the late 18th century.
The visit begins on the second floor where Napoleon's parents, his youth and the last visit to Ajaccio by General Bonaparte in 1799 are evoked.
On the first floor, the salons present, in a décor created under Napoleon III, the furniture bought in 1796 by Letizia, Napoleon's mother. This is also where the famous birth room is located! Other rooms are dedicated to Napoleon's death and to the Napoleonic legend.
The visit ends in the cellars, where you can see agricultural objects that refer to the Bonapartes' past as landowners.
The birth house is without doubt the most demonstrative place to better understand the path taken by Napoleon.
THE PALAIS FESCH, MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
If Ajaccio now has a Fine Arts Museum with no less than 350 paintings, it is thanks to Napoleon's maternal uncle: Joseph Fesch. At his death, this collector left nearly 16,000 paintings, of which a thousand form the core of the Palais Fesch collection.
It is a 5,000 m² space with several levels. Starting your visit on the 2nd floor, you will observe many masterpieces of Italian painting from the 14th to the 17th century. Among all the works present in the Palais Fesch, certain artists stand out: Botticelli, Titian, Veronese, Bellini...but it would be a pity not to linger over the works of lesser-known artists who are just as worthy of a look, especially the superb still lifes. On the first floor you will also find works by French (N. Poussin) and Flemish painters. Continuing to the ground floor, you can see some superb paintings of Napoleon and his family. Finally, on the ground floor, a department highlights Corsican painters or painters who have represented Corsica.
The right wing of the museum has housed the Municipal Library since 1865. The south wing is the Imperial Chapel.
To get there with the Muvistrada buses: Lines 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 7 - Nearest stop: St Roch
NAPORAMA
This museum is originally a story of enthusiasts whose idea is to reconstruct scenes from the life of Napoleon with Playmobil. Except that Napoleonic Playmobil did not originally exist...
They therefore had to be customised by hand-painting almost 800 Playmobil.
Then, in a concern for historical research, the models were made from lithography to stick as closely as possible to reality. Thus, 15 dioramas were reconstructed, representing a total of nearly 1200 hours of work!
Among all the dioramas, you will find the siege of Toulon (1793), the Arcole bridge (1796), the battle of the Pyramids (1798), the crossing of the Grand St Bernard pass (1800), the battle of Marengo (1800) ... A truly original place to discover for young and old!
THE NAPOLEON CAVE DIPOI 1769
A few steps from the Maison Bonaparte is a place dedicated to Napoleon...
When you enter, you will find yourself in an intimate, stone-built place. Take a seat at one of the tables; a film on the youth of the future Emperor...
This visual experience is accompanied by a tasting of Corsican products. A total immersion in the local atmosphere.
ECOMUSEE U PALAZZU DI BUCUGNA
Napoleon's imprint is not only in the historical centre of Ajaccio, it extends over the whole territory of the Ajaccio region. This is what the U Palazzu eco-museum, located in the village of Bocognagno in the Upper Gravona valley, traces.
It is dedicated to the course of the Gravona, of the Bocognanais through history: that of Napoleon I, of the farmers, of the shepherds, of the soldiers, of the bandits, of Napoleon III and of Bocognano at the present time.
The building offers eight rooms with collections of several dozen objects: furniture, clothes, tools, photographs...
SQUARES AND STATUES
PLACE FOCH
Built at the beginning of the 19th century, Place Foch (known as Place des Palmiers) links the old town to what was the suburb (now Rue Fesch). At the top of the square, the statue of Napoleon Bonaparte as a Roman consul is a work in white marble by the Italian sculptor Massimiliano Laboureur (1767-1831), and stands on a pedestal decorated with allegorical figures. The fountain of the four lions, in granite, is the work of the architect Jerome Maglioli. On the left of rue Bonaparte, in a niche, the statue of the Virgin of Mercy (A Madonuccia), protector of Ajaccio, celebrated on 18 March.
PLACE DE GAULLE
The Place De Gaulle, also known as Place du Diamant, marks the separation between the old town and the new districts. Facing the sea, you can admire the statue (1865) dedicated to Napoleon and his four brothers, built on the plans of Violet-le-Duc. This equestrian statue was nicknamed "the inkwell" because of its shape.
Three sculptors worked on this building. The statue of Napoleon I on horseback, dressed in Roman style, was made by the sculptor Barry; the statue of Lucien by Thomas; and the statue of Joseph and Louis by Petit and Jérôme de Maillet.
PLACE D'AUSTERLITZ
The Place d'Austerlitz, known as the Casone in memory of an ancient building, is the place where, according to legend, Napoleon went as a child. Sheltered under large rocks, hence the term " Grotte Napoléon ". The young boy was fascinated by the great figures of history and dreamed of conquests and glory.... The statue of Napoleon dressed as a colonel of the guard is the work of the sculptor Seurre. It is a replica of the statue in the Invalides. The monument, inaugurated in 1938, recalls the victories and achievements of the emperor on its sloping plane.
THE CHURCHES
CATHEDRAL
Located in the old town, the building is typical of the Counter-Reformation architecture. Built on a Latin cross plan, its transept crossing is lit by a dome.
Inside, the cathedral is notable for its high altar, donated in 1811 by Elisa, Napoleon's sister. Several side chapels are of interest: the chapel of the Madonna del pianto (first on the left as you enter) where there is a painting by Eugène Delacroix (The Virgin with the Sacred Heart). The second chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy, the patron saint of Ajaccio because she saved the town from the plague in 1656. Next to it is the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. It is here, under this chapel that the Bonapartes had their tomb.
The baptistery, which was used for Napoleon's baptism, and the organs are also worth mentioning.
How to get there: Rue St Charles
On foot in the city centre
By bus Muvistrada: lines 1/2/3/4/5/7/9 - stop St Roch
IMPERIAL CHAPEL
Palatine Chapel, known as the Imperial Chapel.
Forming the right wing of the Palais Fesch, the chapel is a listed historical monument.
Its construction, in St Florent stone, was financed by funds bequeathed by Cardinal Fesch and Napoleon III. Blessed on 9 September 1860, it is the sanctuary of the imperial family. In the crypt lie some members of the Bonaparte family, including Napoleon's father and mother and Cardinal Fesch.
How to get there: 50 rue Fesch (pedestrian street)
By bus Muvistrada: lines 1/2/3/4/7 - stop St Roch
THE MILELLI DOMAIN
The Milelli estate is located on the heights of Ajaccio.
With a surface area of 12 hectares, it houses a centuries-old olive grove and the former country house of the Bonapartes. Napoleon stayed there on his return from Egypt in 1799, in the company of his general staff, including Berthier, Murat and Lannes.
Bequeathed to the town, the property has become a public garden and a very pleasant place to walk. The house, which cannot be visited, is classified as a historical monument and the site has been classified as a remarkable and picturesque site. An arboretum has been created for the instruction of children. Vegetable gardens have been created and made available to people of modest means.
How to get there: Route des Milelli (about 20 minutes from the city centre by car)
