Must-see attractions in Ajaccio

  • The Galerie, a great room for the guests, in the Maison Bonaparte in Ajaccio, ancestral home of the Bonaparte family and the birthplace of Napoleon.

    Maison Bonaparte

    Ajaccio

    Unremarkable from the outside, the old-town house where Napoléon was born and spent his first nine years was ransacked by Corsican nationalists in 1793,…

  • The main gate into Palais Fesch with the central museum of fine arts in Ajaccio on Corsica.

    Palais Fesch – Musée des Beaux-Arts

    Ajaccio

    Established by Napoléon’s uncle, cardinal Joseph Fesch (1763–1839), Ajaccio’s superb art museum holds the largest French collection of Italian…

  • Empty Porticchio beach.

    Plage de Porticcio

    Ajaccio

    Dedicated beach bums generally prefer the sands of Porticcio to Ajaccio's busy city beaches. It’s 15km by road around the bay from Ajaccio, or 6km…

  • Cathédrale Ste-Marie

    Ajaccio

    Surprisingly small but in a commanding position facing out to sea, Ajaccio’s ochre-coloured cathedral dates from the 16th century. As well as a depiction…

  • Chapelle Impériale

    Ajaccio

    The crypt of the imperial chapel, across the courtyard from the Palais Fesch, holds the tombs of Napoléon's parents and several other relatives. Don't…

  • Citadel

    Ajaccio

    Constructed on the rocky headland during the 16th century, the imposing military fortress that adjoins old Ajaccio still belongs to the army. It has been…