1. The Bonaparte House National Museum
Napoleon Bonaparte's birthplace is located in this port city on the island's west coast. Transformed into a national museum, the Emperor's childhood home stands alongside streets bearing his effigy, as well as several statues in different parts of the town.
In this historic monument, you'll find period furniture and rooms decorated in the pure style of the late 18th century. The museum presents the history of Napoleon, with a tour that retraces his youth, as well as his last visit to Ajaccio. The birth room is dedicated to his birth on August 15, 1769, while other rooms are devoted to the stories of Napoleon's legend, and his death.
2. The Musée des Beaux-Arts at the Palais Fesch
This seaside fine arts museum is one of the most important in France after the Louvre. The Palais Fesch holds the second-largest collection of Italian primitives.
In this 5,000 m2 multi-level space, you can appreciate masterpieces by great Italian artists from the 14th to the 17th century, including Botticelli, Veronese, Bellini...
You'll also be surrounded byworks by French and Flemish painters. An entire wing is dedicated to Corsican painters and paintings depicting the island, not forgetting portraits of Napoleon and the Bonaparte family.
3. The old port
As you stroll alongAjaccio harbor at first light, you'll come across fishermen unloading the day's catch. Fish, sea urchins, lobsters... watch the hustle and bustle among the multicolored nets. You'll find all these seafood products at the market in the producers' hall.
As the day progresses, the atmosphere changes, and the quays also play host to luxury boats. Take a seat on a café terrace and enjoy the view as you listen to the lapping of the waves and the sound of ropes brushing against sails.
4. Church of Saint Roch (San Roccu)
Among Ajaccio's remarkable sites and monuments, don't miss the San Roccu church on Cours Napoléon. This building is truly typical of late 19th-century neoclassical architecture.
It was originally designed by Ajaccio architect Barthélémy Maglioli in 1885. The building was simplified during construction, however, due to land problems and excessive costs. TheChurch of Saint Roch is magnificently enhanced by lighting effects at dusk.
5. The Napoleon statue on Place d'Austerlitz
In the Ajaccio region, the Place d'Austerlitz is also closely linked to the history of the Emperor. The term "Grotte Napoléon" refers to the large rocks beneath which the young Napoleon came to dream of conquest and glory.
The Place d'Austerlitz features a statue of Bonaparte dressed as a colonel of the guard. Inaugurated in 1938, the monument traces the Emperor's various victories on its sloping surface.
You can reach this point of interest on foot from the Cours Grandval by taking the plane tree promenade along the foreigners' quarter, bordered by the Palais Lantivy and superb townhouses.
6. The changing of the Imperial Guard in Place Foch
Every Thursday throughout the summer, immerse yourself in the history and splendor of the Empire in Place Foch as the Imperial Guard takes over. After the arrival of the chasseurs à pied, the event unfolds in three stages.
To the sound of drums, the first changeover is a presentation of arms, the second consists of marches, and the third takes up the honours for the flag. The finale is an impressive display of rifle fire.
7. Miollis Citadel
The Citadelle Miollis was a military building before becoming the property of the town of Ajaccio in 2020. This strategic site was built in 1492 by the Genoese to protect the city from maritime attack.
Initially comprising a keep and a low enclosure, the citadel was enlarged and fortified over the centuries. A rallying point for Ajaccio's soldiers before they left for the front, the building was also occupied by Italian fascists during the Second World War.
8. Lazaret Ollandini - Musée Marc Petit
Before becoming a cultural center, the Lazaret was intended to replace the quarantine establishment at Les Sanguinaires. Initiated in 1839 by architect Vincent Lottero, the site was not operational until 1848. One hundred years later, the building was transformed into low-end housing before being bought by François Ollandini. This patron of the arts and philosophy transformed the site into a major cultural center.
The Lazaret Ollandini was inaugurated in 1999, and in 2020 the owners donated its bare ownership to the town of Ajaccio. A permanent museum trail has been set up in the gardens and alleys of the Lazaret around bronze sculptures by Marc Petit.
9. Ajaccio market and its culinary specialities
Corsica's landscapes and historic monuments are not the only things to delight the senses. Gastronomic tourism is equally important in Corsica.
Local produce on the Place Campinchi. The Halle gourmande is packed with producers and artisans who will share their specialties with you. The stalls are filled with typical Corsican charcuterie and Ajaccio cheeses, as well as sweet delicacies such as ambrucciata and finuchjetti.
Photo: Michal Osmenda