Ajaccio
Capital Of Corsica On Its Western Gulf And The Birthplace Of Napoleon Bonaparte, With The Palais Fesch'S Italian Paintings And The ÎLes Sanguinaires At The Tip Of The Bay · Ajaccio, Corsica
Ajaccio is the capital of Corsica, a port city on a wide gulf on the island's west coast, with mountains rising behind it and the Îles Sanguinaires at the tip of the bay. It was founded by the Genoese in the late fifteenth century, and its old town of tall, pale, shuttered houses still crowds the narrow streets between the harbour and the citadel. Napoleon Bonaparte was born here in 1769, and the city is full of him: the family home, Maison Bonaparte, is a national museum, the cathedral where he was baptised stands nearby, and statues of the emperor fill the main squares. The Palais Fesch, founded by his uncle Cardinal Fesch, holds one of the largest collections of Italian paintings in France, and its Imperial Chapel holds Bonaparte family tombs. The morning market, cafés on the Place Foch and town beaches fill the days, and a coast road runs west to the Pointe de la Parata, where people gather at sunset facing the red-tinged islands. Ferries arrive from Marseille, Toulon and Nice, and the airport bears Napoleon's name.
Old town, citadel and port, Ajaccio, Corse-du-Sud, Ajaccio, Corsica, France
The old town, the port, the squares and the coast road to the Parata are open at all hours. Maison Bonaparte is open most days, generally closed on one weekday, typically Monday, outside summer and on some public holidays, with shorter hours from autumn to spring and a lunch break in the quieter months; confirm the current pattern. The Palais Fesch and its Imperial Chapel follow a similar seasonal rhythm, with the longest hours in July and August and a weekly closing day the rest of the year; temporary exhibitions can change prices and hours. The citadel was a military site for a long time and access to its interior has been limited, so confirm whether it can be visited or seen only from outside. Churches, including the cathedral, are open most days outside services. The morning market runs most days in season and more thinly in winter. Boat trips to the Îles Sanguinaires run mainly from spring to autumn and depend on the sea, with sunset departures in summer that sell out; book ahead. Ferry schedules are far busier in summer.