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Ajaccio, Corsica © dmytrok/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Ajaccio, Corsica © Frank Jania/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Ajaccio, Corsica © Rob Oo/Flickr/CC BY 2.0Ajaccio is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the Collectivité territoriale de Corse (capital city of Corsica). It is also the largest settlement on the island. Ajaccio is located on the west coast of the island of Corsica, 210 nautical miles (390 km) southeast of Marseille.Ajaccio, Corsica
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio in 1769 in theMaison Bonaparte
, which is now open to the public. Other dedications to him in the city include Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport.
This is a sun-kissed tourist town with frequent visits by cruise ships. It has a boardwalk along its attractive coastline, but its sky-high prices may detract occasionally from its wonderful weather.
Although... Read more
Destination:Ajaccio, CorsicaAjaccio is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the Collectivité territoriale de Corse (capital city of Corsica). It is also the largest settlement on the island. Ajaccio is located on the west coast of the island of Corsica, 210 nautical miles (390 km) southeast of Marseille.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio in 1769 in theMaison Bonaparte
, which is now open to the public. Other dedications to him in the city include Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport.
This is a sun-kissed tourist town with frequent visits by cruise ships. It has a boardwalk along its attractive coastline, but its sky-high prices may detract occasionally from its wonderful weather.
Although the coastline of Ajaccio and its natural harbor was almost certainly visited many times in antiquity, the development of a proper city did not happen until the late 1400s when the Genoese built a citadel that still stands to this day and serves as a military installation for the French army.
After most of Corsica was conquered by the French in the 1700s, Ajaccio remained a Genoese territory until the late 1760s.
Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleone di Buonaparte) was born in Ajaccio in 1769 just after the city became the capital of Corsica. Although from mostly Italian-Corsican heritage, Napoleon rose through the ranks of the French military to become the leader of France and subsequently Emperor. For a time he also ruled most of Europe.
Interestingly, Ajaccio was one of the last cities to become French in Europe, but it was the first French city to be liberated in 1943 following the fall of the Third Republic in 1940.
Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajaccio
Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0Ajaccio, Corsica: Port Information
Smaller cruise ships dock in the port. Larger vessels anchor offshore and passengers are transported to the pier by tender boats.
The city center is within walking distance (around 5 min).Get around Ajaccio, Corsica
You can easily get to the city's attractions on foot.
There are public and tourist buses. Taxis are limited.
You can hire a car or explore the surroundings on a mountain bike or road bike.
The railway station in Ajaccio belongs to Chemins de Fer de la Corse and is located near the port at the Square Pierre Griffi. It connects Ajaccio to Corte, Bastia (3h 25min) and Calvi.What to see in Ajaccio, Corsica
- Napoleon's house (Maison Bonaparte). House where Napoleon was born. Now a museum.
- Cathedral. Church of Ste. Marie.
- Church of St Erasme.
- Citadel. The Citadel was founded in 1492. Its current Genoese appearance dates to some time after 1559. You can only admire the exterior, as it remains a military base out-of-bounds to the public.
- Harbour station.
- Musee Fesch, 50 rue du Cardinal Fesch. 14th- to 19th-century Italian art collection amassed by Napoleon's uncle, Cardinal Fesch. Includes works by Titian, Raphael & Botticelli.
- Filitosa (20 south of Ajaccio off highway T40). April-Oct 09:00 to sunset. Prehistoric (mostly Bronze Age) settlement with standing stones and a small museum. Easiest visited from Ajaccio, but also an easy day-trip from Bonifacio or Porto Vecchio. Other notable standing stones in the area are at Palaggiu and Stanfari.
What to do in Ajaccio, Corsica
The city has two marinas and a casino. The main activities are concentrated in the city center on the Route des Sanguinaires (cinemas, bars, clubs, etc.).What to eat and drink in Ajaccio, Corsica
- Le 20123, 2 rue du Roi de Rome. Open every evening. Closed Mondays in winter. Simple dishes cooked in a traditional "grandmother style".
- Mani, 7 rue du Roi de Rome, ☎ +33 4 95 50 10 42. Sophisticated bistrot serving Corsican food with modern panache.
Shopping in Ajaccio, Corsica
Ajaccio is the Corsica's shopping center with the commercial streets of the city center and the areas of peripheral activities such as that of Mezzavia (hypermarket Géant Casino) and along the ring road (hypermarket Carrefour and E. Leclerc).Safety in Ajaccio, Corsica
The island is very safe, especially for tourists. Just use your common sense and be polite as in any other place.Language spoken in Ajaccio, Corsica
French is the official language. Corsican is widely spoken on the island (it is very similar to Italian). Just a few local citizens can speak or understand English.
LOCAL TIME
5:58 pmJuly 2, 2022CURRENT WEATHER
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EURTravelers recommend visiting the following places of interests
Maison Bonaparte, Ajaccio, Corsica
La Maison Bonaparte (Corsican: Casa Buonaparte) is the ancestral home of the Bonaparte family. It is located on the Rue Saint-Charles in Ajaccio on the French island of Corsica. The house was almost continuously owned by members of the family from 1682 to 1923. History Napoleon Bonaparte's great-great-grandfather Giuseppe Bonaparte first...Citadelle d'Ajaccio, Corsica
Citadelle d'Ajaccio is a fortress in Corse-du-Sud, France. It was built in 1492.Tour de la Parata, Ajaccio, Corsica
The Tour de la Parata (Corsican: Torra di a Parata) is a ruined Genoese tower located in the commune of Ajaccio (Corse-du-Sud) on the west coast of the French island of Corsica. The tower sits at an elevation of 55 m (180 ft) on a rocky promontory, the Pointe de la Parata, to the north-east of the Îles Sanguinaires archipelago. The tower was...Genoese towers, Ajaccio, Corsica
The Genoese towers in Corsica (French: Tours génoises de Corse, Corsican: Torri ghjinuvesi di a Corsica) are a series of coastal defences constructed by the Republic of Genoa between 1530 and 1620 to stem the attacks by Barbary pirates. Corsica had been controlled by the Genoese since 1284 when they established their supremacy over the Pisans...Musee Fesch Ajaccio, Corsica
The musée Fesch (officially, Palais Fesch-musée des beaux-arts) is the central museum of fine arts in Ajaccio on Corsica. Located within the gated Palais Fesch, it is in the town's Borgu d'Ajaccio quarter. It was established by Napoleon I's uncle, cardinal Joseph Fesch (a Prince of France from 1807), in Fesch's birthplace. Location The Fesch...Tour de Castelluccio, Ajaccio, Corsica
The Tour de Castelluccio (Corsican: Torra di Castelluchju) is a ruined Genoese tower located in the commune of Ajaccio (Corse-du-Sud) off the west coast of the French island of Corsica. The tower sits on the southern end of the Île Grande Sanguinaire, the largest island in the Îles Sanguinaires archipelago. The tower was one of a series of coastal...Cathedral of the Assumption of Saint Mary, Ajaccio, Corsica
Ajaccio Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Ajaccio and also known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of Saint Mary, (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l'Assomption de Ajaccio; Cathédrale de l'Assomption de Sainte-Marie) is a Baroque/Mannerist Roman Catholic cathedral located in Ajaccio, Corsica. It is the seat of...Tour de Sagone, Ajaccio, Corsica
The Tour de Sagone (Corsican: Torra di Sagone) is a ruined Genoese tower located in the commune of Vico (Corse-du-Sud) on the west coast of the French island of Corsica. The tower sits on the west side of the Anse de Sagone. The tower was built in 1581 and replaced an earlier tower. It was one of a series of coastal defences constructed by the...Arboretum des Milelli, Ajaccio, Corsica
The Arboretum des Milelli is an arboretum located on the 12-hectare grounds of Les Milelli, outside Ajaccio, Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France. Les Milelli was the long-time summer retreat of the ancestors of Napoleon I of France, and one of his childhood residences; its olive groves provided a large part of the family's income. The house itself is...
