Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a

French commune The () is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in the United States and Canada, ' in Germany, ' in Italy, or ' in Spain. The United Kingdom's equi ...

, prefecture of the department of

Corse-du-Sud Corse-du-Sud (; co, link=no, Corsica suttana , or ; en, Southern Corsica) is (as of 2019) an administrative department of France, consisting of the southern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collect ...

, and head office of the ''

Collectivité territoriale A territorial collectivity (french: collectivité territoriale, previously '), or territorial authority, is a chartered subdivision of France with recognized governing authority. It is the generic name for any subdivision (subnational entity) wi ...

de Corse'' (capital city of

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

). It is also the largest settlement on the island. Ajaccio is located on the west coast of the island of Corsica, southeast of

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

. The original city went into decline in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, but began to prosper again after the Genoese built a

citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

in 1492, to the south of the earlier settlement. After the

Corsican Republic In November 1755, Pasquale Paoli proclaimed Corsica a sovereign nation, the Corsican Republic ( it, Repubblica Corsa), independent from the Republic of Genoa. He created the Corsican Constitution, which was the first constitution written in Itali ...

was declared in 1755, the Genoese continued to hold several citadels, including Ajaccio, until the French took control of the island. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Ajacciens'' (men) or ''Ajacciennes'' (women). The most famous of these is

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, who was born in Ajaccio in 1769, and whose ancestral home, the

Maison Bonaparte ''Maison Bonaparte'' ( Corsican and Italian: ''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 me ...

, is now a museum. Other dedications to him in the city include

Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport d'Ajaccio-Napoléon-Bonaparte; co, link=no, Aeruportu di Aiacciu Nabulione Buonaparte; ), formerly "Campo dell'Oro Airport", is the main airport serving Ajaccio on the French isla ...

Toponymy

Several hypotheses have been advanced as to the

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

of the name ''Ajaccio'' (''Aiacciu'' in Corsican, ''Addiazzo'' on old documents). Among these, the most prestigious suggests that the city was founded by the Greek legendary hero

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...

and named after him. Other more realistic explanations are, for example, that the name could be related to the Tuscan ''agghiacciu'' meaning "sheep pens". Another explanation, supported by

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

sources from around the year 600 AD called the city ''Agiation'' which suggests a possible Greek origin for the word, ''agathè'' could mean "good luck" or "good mooring" (this was also the root of the name of the city of

Agde Agde (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in Southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi. Location Agde is located on the Hérault river, from the Mediterranean Sea, and from Paris. The Canal du Midi conne ...

Geography

Location

Ajaccio is located on the west coast of the island of Corsica, southeast of

. The commune occupies a sheltered position at the foot of wooded hills on the northern shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio between Gravona and the ''pointe de la Parata'' and includes the '' îles Sanguinaires'' (Bloody Islands). The harbour lies to the east of the original citadel below a hill overlooking a peninsula which protects the harbour in the south where the Quai de la Citadelle and the Jettée de la Citadelle are. The modern city not only encloses the entire harbour but takes up the better part of the Gulf of Ajaccio and in suburban form extends for some miles up the valley of the river

Gravona The Gravona is a river on the island of Corsica, France. It flows from the center of the island southwest to the Gulf of Ajaccio. Its entire course is in the Corse-du-Sud Department of France. It is long. The Gravona Valley conducts the main hi ...

. The flow from that river is nearly entirely consumed as the city's water supply. Many beaches and coves border its territory and the terrain is particularly rugged in the west where the highest point is . File:Porto Ajacio.JPG, Ajaccio Marina File:Baie_Ajaccio_voilier.jpg, The Bay File:Ajaccio_phare_citadelle.jpg, The lighthouse of the citadel of Ajaccio overlooking the bay File:Ajaccio Sanguinaires 1.jpg, ''Îles Sanguinaires'' Port Ajaccio.JPG, The market

Urbanism

Although the commune of Ajaccio has a large area (82.03 km²), only a small portion of this is urbanized. Therefore, the

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...

of Ajaccio is located in the east of the commune on a narrow coastal strip forming a densely populated arc. The rest of the territory is natural with habitation of little importance and spread thinly. Suburbanization occurs north and east of the main urban area. The original urban core, close to the old marshy plain of ''Cannes'' was abandoned in favour of the current city which was built near the ''Punta della Lechia''. It has undergone various improvements, particularly under Napoleon, who originated the two current major structural arteries (the ''Cours Napoleon'' oriented north–south and the ''Cours Grandval'' oriented east–west). Ajaccio experienced a demographic boom in the 1960s, which explains why 85% of dwellings are post-1949. This is reflected in the layout of the city which is marked by very large areas of low-rise buildings and concrete towers, especially on the heights ('' Les Jardins de l'Empereur'') and in the north of the city - e.g. the waterfront, ''Les Cannes'', and ''Les Salines''. A dichotomy appears in the landscape between the old city and the imposing modern buildings. Ajaccio gives the image of a city built on two different levels.

Climate

The city has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

which is ''Csa'' in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

. The average annual sunshine is 2726 hours. There are important local climatic variations, especially with wind exposure and total precipitation, between the city centre, the airport, and the ''îles Sanguinaires''. The annual average rainfall is at the ''Campo dell'Oro'' weather station (as per the chart) and at the ''Parata'': the third-driest place in metropolitan France. The heat and dryness of summer are somewhat tempered by the proximity of the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

except when the

sirocco Sirocco ( ), scirocco, or, rarely, siroc (see below) is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, especially during the summer season. Names ''Sirocco'' derives from ...

is blowing. In autumn and spring, heavy rain-storm episodes may occur. Winters are mild and snow is rare. Ajaccio is the French city which holds the record for the number of thunderstorms in the reference period 1971–2000 with an average of 39 thunderstorm days per year. On 14 September 2009, the city was hit by a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

with an intensity of F1 on the

Fujita scale The Fujita scale (F-Scale; ), or Fujita–Pearson scale (FPP scale), is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation. The official Fujita scale category is determ ...

. There was little damage except torn billboards, flying tiles, overturned cars, and broken windows but no casualties. Weather Data for Ajaccio

Heraldry

History

Antiquity

The city was not mentioned by the Greek geographer

Ptolemy of Alexandria Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

in the 2nd century AD despite the presence of a place called ''Ourkinion'' in the ''Cinarca'' area. It is likely that the city of Ajaccio had its first development at this time. The 2nd century was a period of prosperity in the Mediterranean basin (the

Pax Romana The Pax Romana (Latin for 'Roman peace') is a roughly 200-year-long timespan of Roman history which is identified as a period and as a golden age of increased as well as sustained Roman imperialism, relative peace and order, prosperous stabilit ...

) and there was a need for a proper port at the head of the several valleys that lead to the Gulf able to accommodate large ships. Some important underwater archaeological discoveries recently made of Roman ships tend to confirm this. Further excavations conducted recently led to the discovery of important early Christian remains likely to significantly a reevaluation upwards of the size of Ajaccio city in

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

and the beginning of the

. The city was in any case already significant enough to be the seat of a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

, mentioned by

Pope Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...

in 591. The city was then further north than the location chosen later by the Genoese - in the location of the existing quarters of ''Castel Vecchio'' and ''Sainte-Lucie''. The earliest certain written record of a settlement at Ajaccio with a name ancestral to its name was the exhortation in Epistle 77 written in 601AD by

Gregory the great Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...

to the Defensor Boniface, one of two known rectors of the early Corsican church, to tell him not to leave

Aléria Aléria (; Ancient Greek: /, ; Latin and Italian: ; co, U Cateraghju) is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica, former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see. It includes the easternmost point in M ...

and Adjacium without bishops. There is no earlier use of the term and Adjacium is not an attested

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word, which probably means that it is a Latinization of a word in some other language. The

Ravenna Cosmography The ''Ravenna Cosmography'' ( la, Ravennatis Anonymi Cosmographia, "The Cosmography of the Unknown Ravennese") is a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland, compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around 700 AD. Text ...

of about 700 AD cites Agiation, which sometimes is taken as evidence of a prior Greek city, as -ion appears to be a Greek ending. There is, however, no evidence at all of a Greek presence on the west coast and the

Ionians The Ionians (; el, Ἴωνες, ''Íōnes'', singular , ''Íōn'') were one of the four major tribes that the Greeks considered themselves to be divided into during the ancient period; the other three being the Dorians, Aeolians, and Achaea ...

on the east coast had been expelled by the Etruscans long before Roman domination.

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

, who must come the closest to representing indigenous names, lists the Lochra River just south of a feature he calls the "sandy shore" on the southwest coast. If the shore is the Campo dell'Oro (Place of Gold) the Lochra would seem to be the combined mouth of the

and

Prunelli The Prunelli is a small coastal river in the department of Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France. It flows into the Golfe d'Ajaccio on the Mediterranean Sea. Course The Prunelli is long. It crosses the communes of Ajaccio, Bastelica, Bastelicaccia, Caur ...

Rivers, neither one of which sounds like Lochra. North of there was a Roman city, Ourchinion. The western coastline was so distorted, however, that it is impossible to say where Adjacium was; certainly, he would have known its name and location if he had had any first-hand knowledge of the island and if in fact it was there. Ptolemy's Ourchinion is further north than Ajaccio and does not have the same name. It could be Sagone. The lack of correspondence between Ptolemaic and historical names known to be ancient has no defense except in the case of the two Roman colonies, Aleria and Mariana. In any case the population of the region must belong to Ptolemy's Tarabeni or Titiani people, neither of which are ever heard about again.

Archaeological evidence

The population of the city throughout the centuries maintained an oral tradition that it had originally been

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

. Travellers of the 19th century could point to the Hill of San Giovanni on the northwest shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio, which still had a cathedral said to have been the 6th-century seat of the

Bishop of Ajaccio The Diocese of Ajaccio (Latin: ''Dioecesis Adiacensis''; French: ''Diocèse d'Ajaccio'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in France.baptistry of a 6th-century cathedral and large amounts of pottery dated to the 6th and 7th centuries AD; in other words, an early Christian town. A cemetery had been placed over the old church. In it was a single Roman grave covered over with roof tiles bearing short indecipherable inscriptions. The finds of the previous century had included Roman coins. This is the only evidence so far of a Roman city continuous with the early Christian one.

Medieval Genoese period

It has been established that after the 8th century the city, like most other Corsican coastal communities, strongly declined and disappeared almost completely. Nevertheless, a castle and a cathedral were still in place in 1492 which last was not demolished until 1748. Towards the end of the 15th century, the Genoese were eager to assert their dominance in the south of the island and decided to rebuild the city of Ajaccio. Several sites were considered: the ''Pointe de la Parata'' (not chosen because it was too exposed to the wind), the ancient city (finally considered unsafe because of the proximity of the salt ponds), and finally the ''Punta della Lechia'' which was finally selected. Work began on the town on 21 April 1492 south of the Christian village by the

Bank of Saint George The Bank of Saint George ( it, Casa delle compere e dei banchi di San Giorgio or informally as ''Ufficio di San Giorgio'' or ''Banco'') was a financial institution of the Republic of Genoa. It was founded in 1407 to consolidate the public debt ...

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

, who sent Cristoforo of Gandini, an architect, to build it. He began with a castle on Capo di Bolo, around which he constructed residences for several hundred people. Tour sanguinaires

The new city was essentially a colony of Genoa. The Corsicans were restricted from the city for some years. Nevertheless, the town grew rapidly and became the administrative capital of the province of ''Au Delà Des Monts'' (more or less the current ''

'').

Bastia Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...

remained the capital of the entire island. Although at first populated exclusively by the Genoese, the city slowly opened to the Corsicans while the Ajaccians, almost to the French conquest, were legally citizens of the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...

and were happy to distinguish themselves from the insular ''paesani'' who lived mainly in ''Borgu'', a suburb outside the city walls (the current ''rue Fesch'' was the main street).

Attachment to France

Ajaccio was occupied from 1553 to 1559 by the French, but it again fell to the Genoese after the Treaty of Cateau Cambresis in the latter year. Subsequently, the

was strong enough to keep Corsica until 1755, the year

Pasquale Paoli Filippo Antonio Pasquale de' Paoli (; french: link=no, Pascal Paoli; 6 April 1725 – 5 February 1807) was a Corsican patriot, statesman, and military leader who was at the forefront of resistance movements against the Genoese and later ...

proclaimed the

. Paoli took most of the island for the republic, but he was unable to force Genoese troops out of the citadels of Saint-Florent, Calvi, Ajaccio,

and Algajola. Leaving them there, he went on to build the nation, while the Republic of Genoa was left to ponder prospects and solutions. Their ultimate solution was to sell Corsica to France in 1768 and French troops of the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

replaced Genoese ones in the citadels, including Ajaccio's. Corsica was formally annexed to France in 1780.

Napoleon

(born as Napoleone di Buonaparte) was born at Ajaccio in the same year as the

Battle of Ponte Novu The Battle of Ponte Novu took place on May 8 and 9, 1769 between royal French forces under the Comte de Vaux, a seasoned professional soldier with an expert on mountain warfare on his staff, and the native Corsicans under Carlo Salicetti. It ...

, 1769. The Buonaparte family at the time had a modest four-story home in town (now a museum known as

) and a rarely used country home in the hills north of the city (now site of the

Arboretum des Milelli The Arboretum des Milelli ( co, Arburettu di I Milelli) is an arboretum located on the 12-hectare grounds of Les Milelli, outside Ajaccio, Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France. Built c.1581, Les Milelli was the long-time summer retreat of the ancesto ...

). The father of the family, attorney Carlo di Buonaparte, was secretary to

during the

After the defeat of Paoli, the Comte de Marbeuf began to meet with some leading Corsicans to outline the shape of the future and enlist their assistance. The Comte was among a delegation from Ajaccio in 1769, offered his loyalty and was appointed assessor. Marbeuf also offered Carlo di Buonaparte an appointment for one of his sons to the Military College of Brienne, but Napoleone did not speak French which was a requirement and he had to be at least ten years of age. There is a dispute concerning Napoleon's age because of this requirement; the emperor is known to have altered the civic records at Ajaccio concerning himself and it is possible that he was born in Corte in 1768 when his father was there on business. In any case Napoleon was sent to a school in Autun to learn basic French, then after a year went to Brienne from 1779 to 1784. At Brienne Napoleon concentrated on studies. He wrote a boyish history of Corsica. He did not share his father's views but held

in high esteem and was at heart a Corsican nationalist. The top students were encouraged to go into the artillery. After graduation and a brief sojourn at the Military School of Paris Napoleon applied for a second-lieutenancy in the artillery regiment of La Fère at Valence and after a time was given the position. Meanwhile, his father died and his mother was cast into poverty in Corsica, still having four children to support. Her only income was Napoleon's meager salary. The regiment was in

Auxonne Auxonne ( or ) is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Auxonnais'' or ''Auxonnaises''. Auxonne is one of the sites of the defensive struc ...

when the revolution broke out in the summer of 1789. Napoleon returned on leave to Ajaccio in October, became a Jacobin and began to work for the revolution. The

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

in Paris united Corsica to France and pardoned its exiles. Paoli returned in 1790 after 21 years and kissed the soil on which he stood. He and Napoleon met and toured the battlefield of Paoli's defeat. A national assembly at Orezza created the department of Corsica and Paoli was subsequently elected president. He commanded the national guard raised by Napoleon. After a brief return to his regiment Napoleon was promoted to

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

and came home again on leave in 1791. Ajaccio citadelle echauguette

All officers were recalled from leave in 1792, intervention threatened and war with Austria (

Marie-Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child ...

's homeland) began. Napoleon returned to Paris for review, was exonerated, then promoted to

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and given leave to escort his sister, a schoolgirl, back to Corsica at state expense. His family was prospering; his estate increased. Napoleon became a

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

in the Corsican National Guard. Paoli sent him off on an expedition to

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

, ordered by France, under Paolis's nephew but the nephew had secret orders from Paoli to make sure the expedition failed. Paoli was now a conservative, opposing the execution of the king and supporting an alliance with Great Britain. Returning from Sardinia Napoleon with his family and all his supporters were instrumental in getting Paoli denounced at the

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...

in Paris in 1793. Napoleon earned the hatred of the Paolists by pretending to support Paoli and then turning against him (payment, one supposes, for Sardinia). Paoli was convicted in absentia, a warrant was issued for his arrest (which could not be served) and Napoleon was dispatched to Corsica as Inspector General of Artillery to take the citadel of Ajaccio from the royalists who had held it since 1789. The Paolists combining with the royalists defeated the French in two pitched battles and Napoleon and his family went on the run, hiding by day, while the Paolists burned their estate. Napoleon and his mother, Laetitia, were taken out by ship in June 1793, by friends while two of the girls found refuge with other friends. They landed in

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

with only Napoleon's pay for their support. 2016 Napoleon Totenmaske

The Bonapartes moved to

but in August Toulon offered itself to the British and received the protection of a fleet under Admiral Hood. The

Siege of Toulon The siege of Toulon (29 August – 19 December 1793) was a military engagement that took place during the Federalist revolts of the French Revolutionary Wars. It was undertaken by Republican forces against Royalist rebels supported by Anglo-S ...

began in September under revolutionary officers mainly untrained in the art of war. Napoleon happened to present socially one evening and during a casual conversation over a misplaced 24-pounder explained the value of artillery. Taken seriously he was allowed to bring up over 100 guns from coastal emplacements but his plan for the taking of Toulon was set aside as one incompetent officer superseded another. By December they decided to try his plan and made him a Colonel. Placing the guns at close range he used them to keep the British fleet away while he battered down the walls of Toulon. As soon as the Committee of Public Safety heard of the victory Napoleon became a

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

, the start of his meteoric rise to power. The Bonapartes were back in Ajaccio in 1797 under the protection of General Napoleon. Soon after Napoleon became First Consul and then emperor, using his office to spread revolution throughout Europe. In 1811 he made Ajaccio the capital of the new Department of Corsica. Despite his subsequent defeat by the Prussians, Russians, and British, his exile and his death, no victorious power reversed that decision or tried to remove Corsica from France. Among the natives, though Corsican nationalism is strong, and feeling often runs high in favour of a union with

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

; loyalty to France, however, as evidenced by elections, remains stronger.

19th and 20th centuries

In the 19th century Ajaccio became a winter resort of the high society of the time, especially for the English, in the same way as

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...

, and

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

. An

Anglican Church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

was even built. The first prison in France for children was built in Ajaccio in 1855: the Horticultural colony of Saint Anthony. It was a correctional colony for juvenile delinquents (from 8 to 20 years old), established under Article 10 of the Act of 5 August 1850. Nearly 1,200 children from all over France stayed there until 1866, when it was closed. Sixty percent of them perished, the victims of poor sanitation and malaria which infested the unhealthy areas that they were responsible to clean.

Contemporary history

On 9 September 1943, the people of Ajaccio rose up against the Nazi occupiers and became the first French town to be liberated from the domination of the Germans. General

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

went to Ajaccio on 8 October 1943 and said: "We owe it to the field of battle the lesson of the page of history that was written in French Corsica. Corsica to her fortune and honour is the first morsel of France to be liberated; which was done intentionally and willingly, in the light of its liberation, this demonstrates that these are the intentions and the will of the whole nation." Throughout this period, no Jew was executed or deported from Corsica through the protection afforded by its people and its government. This event now allows Corsica to aspire to the title "

Righteous Among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( he, חֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, ; "righteous (plural) of the world's nations") is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to sav ...

", as no French region except for the commune

Le Chambon-sur-Lignon Le Chambon-sur-Lignon (, literally "Le Chambon on Lignon"; oc, Lo Chambon, label=Auvergnat) is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. Residents have been primarily Huguenot or Protestant since the 17th century. Durin ...

Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche ...

carries this title. Their case is being investigated . Since the middle of the 20th century, Ajaccio has seen significant development. The city has seen population growth and considerable urban sprawl. Today Ajaccio is the capital of Corsica and the main town of the island and seeks to establish itself as a true regional centre."French Cities" by Fabriès-Verfaillie et Stragiotti, 2000. Ajaccio was a hotspot for violence during the violent unrest in March 2022.

Economy

The city is, with

, the economic, commercial and administrative centre of Corsica. Its urban area of nearly 90,000 inhabitants is spread over a large part of the

, on either side of the Gulf of Ajaccio and up the valley of the Gravona. Its business is primarily oriented towards the services sector. The services sector is by far the main source of employment in the city. Ajaccio is an administrative centre comprising communal, intercommunal, departmental, regional, and prefectural services. It is also a shopping centre with the commercial streets of the city centre and the areas of peripheral activities such as that of ''Mezzavia'' (hypermarket ''Géant Casino'') and along the ring road (hypermarket Carrefour and E. Leclerc). Tourism is one of the most vital aspects of the economy, split between the seaside tourism of summer, cultural tourism, and fishing. A number of hotels, varying from one star to five star, are present across the commune. Ajaccio is the seat of the ''Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ajaccio and Corsica South''. It manages the ports of Ajaccio, Bonifacio,

Porto-Vecchio Porto-Vecchio (, ; it, Porto Vecchio or ; co, Portivechju or ) is a commune in the French department of Corse-du-Sud, on the island of Corsica. Porto-Vecchio is a medium-sized port city placed on a good harbor, the southernmost of the mars ...

Propriano Propriano (; co, Prupià, ) is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica. It is situated on the Valinco Gulf. Population Transport * Railway stations in Corsica - stillborn branch See also * Co ...

and the Tino Rossi marina. It also manages Ajaccio airport and

Figari airport Figari (; also co, Fìgari) is a commune in the French department of Corse-du-Sud on the island of Corsica, France. Geography The village of Figari is to the southeast of Sartène, to the southwest of Porto-Vecchio and to the north of Bo ...

as well as the convention centre and the ''Centre of Ricanto''. Secondary industry is underdeveloped, apart from the aeronautical company ''Corsica Aerospace Composites CCA'', the largest company on the island with 135 employees at two sites. The storage sites of

GDF Suez Engie SA is a French multinational utility company, headquartered in La Défense, Courbevoie, which operates in the fields of energy transition, electricity generation and distribution, natural gas, nuclear, renewable energy and petroleum. It ...

(formerly

Gaz de France Gaz de France (GDF) was a French company which produced, transported and sold natural gas around the world, especially in France, its main market. The company was also particularly active in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other Europea ...

) and

Antargaz UGI Corporation (formerly United Gas Improvement Corp.) is a natural gas and electric power distribution company headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with extensive operations in the United States and Europe. UGI owns AmeriGas, the la ...

in the district of ''Vazzio'' are classified as high risk.

Energy

The ''Centrale EDF du Vazzio'', a heavy oil power station, provides the south of the island with electricity. The

Canal delivers water for consumption by the city.

Transport

Road access

By road, the city is accessible from National Route NR194 from

and NR193 via NR196 from Bonifacio. These two main axes, as well as the roads leading to suburban villages, connect Ajaccio from the north - the site of Ajaccio forming a dead end blocked by the sea to the south. Only the ''Cours Napoleon'' and the ''Boulevard du Roi Jerome'' cross the city. Along with the high

urban density Urban density is a term used in urban planning and urban design to refer to the number of people inhabiting a given urbanized area. As such it is to be distinguished from other measures of population density. Urban density is considered an import ...

, this explains the major traffic and parking problems especially during peak hours and during the summer tourist season. A bypass through several neighbourhoods is nearing completion.

Communal bus services

The Muvistrada provide services on 21 urban routes, one "city" route for local links and 20 suburban lines. The frequency varies according to demand with intervals of 30 minutes for the most important routes: A park and ride with 300 spaces was built at ''Mezzana'' in the neighbouring commune of

Sarrola-Carcopino Sarrola-Carcopino (; co, Sarrula è Carcupinu) is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica. Population See also *Communes of the Corse-du-Sud department *Tour de Corse The Tour de Corse is a rally fi ...

in order to promote intermodality between cars and public transport. It was inaugurated on 12 July 2010.

Airport

The city is served by an

which is the headquarters of

Air Corsica ''Compagnie Aérienne Corse Méditerranée S.A.E.M.'' ( co, Cumpagnia Aerea Corsa Mediterrania), trading as Air Corsica (formerly ''CCM Airlines''), is the flag carrier of the French insular region of Corsica, with its head office on the ground ...

, a Corsican airline. It connects Ajaccio to a number of cities in mainland France (including Paris, Marseille, Nice, and Brive) and to places in Europe to serve the tourist industry. The airline

CCM Airlines CCM may refer to: * Cubic centimetre (''ccm''), metric unit of volume * Climate change mitigation (''CCM''), climate change topic Biology and medicine * Calcium concentration microdomains, part of a cell's cytoplasm * Photosynthesis#Carbon ...

also has its head office on the grounds of the

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

Port

The port of Ajaccio is connected to the French mainland on an almost daily basis (

). There are also occasional links to the Italian mainland (

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

) and to

, as well as a seasonal service serving Calvi and

. The two major shipping companies providing these links are Corsica Linea and

Corsica Ferries Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries (Corsica Ferries France SAS – Forship SpA) is a Franco-Italian ferry company that operates traffic to and from the islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Elba. The ferry company was founded in 1967 by the C ...

Ajaccio has also become a stopover for cruises with a total of 418,086 passengers in 2007by far the largest in Corsica and the second-largest in France (after Marseille, but ahead of Nice/

Villefranche-sur-Mer Villefranche-sur-Mer (, ; oc, Vilafranca de Mar ; it, Villafranca Marittima ) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera and is located south-west of the Principality of ...

and

). The goal is for Ajaccio to eventually become the premier French port for cruises as well as being a main departure point. PSajaccio8629

The Port function of the city is also served by the commercial, pleasure craft, and artisanal fisheries (3 ports).

Railways

The

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

in Ajaccio belongs to ''

Chemins de fer de la Corse Chemins de fer de la Corse ( co, Camini di Ferru di a Corsica) (CFC) is the name of the regional rail network serving the French island of Corsica. It is centred on the town of Ponte Leccia, from which three main lines radiate to Ajaccio, Bast ...

'' and is located near the port at the ''Square Pierre Griffi''. It connects Ajaccio to Corte,

(3 h 25 min) and Calvi. There are two optional stops: *''Salines Halt'' north of the city in the district of the same name *''Campo dell'Oro Halt'' near the airport In addition, the municipality has introduced an additional commuter service between Mezzana station in the suburbs and Ajaccio station located in the centre.

Administration

Ajaccio was successively: *Capital of the district of the department of

in 1790 to 1793 *Capital of the ''department of

Liamone Liamone was a department of the French island of Corsica between 1793 and 1811. It was located in the southern and western parts of the island, and its capital was Ajaccio. Liamone was created in 1793 by the division of the former departmen ...

'' from 1793 to 1811 *Capital of the ''department of Corsica'' from 1811 to 1975 *Capital of the region and the ''collectivité territoriale de Corse'' since 1970 and the department of

since 1976

Policy

Ajaccio remained (with some interruptions) an electoral stronghold of the Bonapartist (CCB) party until the municipal elections of 2001. The outgoing municipality was then beaten by a left-wing coalition led by

Simon Renucci Simon Renucci (born March 29, 1945) was a member of the National Assembly of France. He represented the Corse-du-Sud department from 2002 to 2012 as a member of the Socialiste, radical, citoyen et divers gauche. References

1945 births Liv ...

which gathered

Social Democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...

Communists Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

, and Charles Napoleon - the pretender to the imperial throne. List of Successive Mayors of Ajaccio

Quarters

10 Quarters are recognized by the municipality. *''Cannes-Binda'': an area north of the city, consisting of

Housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States a ...

s, classed as a

Sensitive urban zone A sensitive urban zone (french: Zone urbaine sensible, ZUS) is an urban area in France defined by the authorities to be a high-priority target for city policy, taking into consideration local circumstances related to the problems of its residents. ...

(ZUS) with Les Salines, subject to a policy of urban renewal *''Centre Ville'': The tourist heart of the city consisting of shopping streets and major thoroughfares *''Casone'': a bourgeois neighbourhood with an affluent population located in the former winter resort on the heights of the southern city. *'' Les Jardins de l'Empereur'': a neighbourhood classified as a Sensitive urban zone (ZUS) on the heights of the city, consisting of housing estates overlooking the city *''Mezzavia'': northern quarter of the town with several subdivisions and areas of business and economic activities *''Octroi-Sainte Lucie'': constitutes the northern part of the city centre near the port and the railway station *''Pietralba'': quarter northeast of the city, classified ZUS *''Résidence des Îles'': quarter to the south of the city near the tourist route of ''Sanguinaires'' in a quality environment *''Saint-Jean'': collection of buildings for a population with low incomes, close to the historic urban core of the city, classified as a Sensitive urban zone (ZUS) *''Saline'': quarter north of the city, consisting of large apartment blocks, classed as a Sensitive urban zone (ZUS) with ''Les Cannes'', subject to a policy of urban renewal *''Vazzio'': quarter northeast of the city, near the

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

, the EDF Central, and the Francois Coty stadium.

Intercommunality

Since December 2001, Ajaccio has been part of the ''Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Ajaccien'' with nine other communes: Afa, Alata, Appietto, Cuttoli-Corticchiato, Peri,

Tavaco Tavaco (; co, Tàvacu) is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica. Geography Tavaco is a village located on the slopes of the right bank of the Gravona River. Population See also *Communes of the C ...

, Valle-di-Mezzana, and Villanova.

Origins

The geopolitical arrangements of the commune are slightly different from those typical of Corsica and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Usually an arrondissement includes cantons and a canton includes one to several communes including the chef-lieu, "chief place", from which the canton takes its name. The city of Ajaccio is one commune, but it contains four cantons, Cantons 1–4, and a fraction of Canton 5. The latter contains three other communes:

Bastelicaccia Bastelicaccia (; Corsican: ''A Bastirgaccia'') is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Bastilcacci'' or ''Bastelicacciais'' and ''Bastelicacciaises''. Geog ...

, Alata and Villanova, making a total of four communes for the five cantons of Ajaccio. Each canton contains a certain number of quartiers, "quarters". Cantons 1, 2, 3, 4 are located along the Gulf of Ajaccio from west to east, while 5 is a little further up the valleys of the Gravona and the Prunelli Rivers. These political divisions subdivide the population of Ajaccio into units that can be more democratically served but they do not give a true picture of the size of Ajaccio. In general language, "greater Ajaccio" includes about 100,000 people with all the medical, educational, utility and transportational facilities of a big city. Up until World War II it was still possible to regard the city as being a settlement of narrow streets localized to a part of the harbour or the Gulf of Ajaccio: such bucolic descriptions do not fit the city of today, and travelogues intended for mountain or coastal recreational areas do not generally apply to Corsica's few big cities. The arrondissement contains other cantons that extend generally up the two rivers into central Corsica.

Twin towns – sister cities

Ajaccio is twinned with: *

La Maddalena La Maddalena (Gallurese: ''Madalena'' or ''La Madalena'', sc, Sa Madalena) is a town and ''comune'' located on the islands of the Maddalena archipelago in the province of Sassari, northern Sardinia, Italy. The main town of the same name is locat ...

, Italy (1991)

Population

The population of Ajaccio increased sharply after 1960 due to migration from rural areas and the coming of "

Pied-Noir The ''Pieds-Noirs'' (; ; ''Pied-Noir''), are the people of French people, French and other White Africans of European ancestry, European descent who were born in Algeria during the French Algeria, period of French rule from 1830 to 1962; the v ...

s" (French Algerians), immigrants from the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

and French from mainland France.

Health

Ajaccio has three hospital sites: *the ''Misericordia Hospital'', built in 1950, is located on the heights of the city centre. This is the main medical facility in the region. *The Annex Eugenie. *the

Psychiatric Hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...

of ''Castelluccio'' is west of the city centre and is also home of cancer services and long-stay patients.

Education

Ajaccio is the headquarters of the Academy of Corsica. The city of Ajaccio has: *18 nursery schools (16 public and 2 private) *17 primary schools (15 public and 2 private) *6 colleges **5 Public Schools: *** Collège Arthur-Giovoni *** Collège des Padule *** Collège Laetitia Bonaparte *** Collège Fesch *** EREA ** 1 Private School: Institution Saint Paul * 3 sixth-form colleges/senior high schools ** 2 public schools: *** Lycée Laetitia Bonaparte *** Lycée Fesch ** 1 private: Institution Saint Paul * 2 LEP (vocational high schools) ** Lycée Finosello ** Lycée Jules Antonini Higher education is undeveloped except for a few BTS and IFSI, the

University of Corsica Pascal Paoli The University of Corsica Pasquale Paoli ( Corsican: ''Università di Corsica Pasquale Paoli''; french: Université de Corse Pascal Paoli) is a French university, based in Corte, Haute-Corse, with secondary campuses in Ajaccio, Biguglia and Ca ...

is located in Corte. A research facility of INRA is also located on Ajaccio.

Culture and heritage

Ajaccio has a varied tourism potential, with both a cultural framework in the centre of the city and a natural heritage around the coves and beaches of the

, as well as the Natura 2000 reserve of the ''îles Sanguinaires''.

Civil heritage

The commune has many buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: *The Monument to General Abbatucci in the Place Abbatucci (1854) *The Monument to Napoleon I in the Place d'Austerlitz (20th century) *The Baciocchi Family Mansion at 9 Rue Bonaparte (18th century) *The Fesch Palace at 48 bis Rue Cardinal-Fesch (1827) *The Monument to the First Consul in the Place Foch (1850) *The Peraldi House at 18 Rue Forcioli-Conti (1820) *The Grand Hotel at Cours Grandval (1869) *The old Château Conti at Cours Grandval (19th century) *The Monument to Napoleon and his brothers in the Place du General de Gaulle (1864) *The Monument to Cardinal Fesch at the Cour du Musée Fesch (1856) *The old Alban Factory at 89 Cours Napoleon (1913) *The Milelli House in the Saint-Antoine Quarter (17th century) *The Hotel Palace-Cyrnos (1880), an old Luxury Hotel from the 19th century and a famous palace of the old days in the quarter "for foreigners" now converted into housing. *The Lantivy Palace (1837), an Italian palace now headquarters of the prefecture of Corsica. *The Hotel de Ville (1836) *Napoleon Bonaparte's House (17th century) now a national museum: the

*The old

Lazaretto A lazaretto or lazaret (from it, lazzaretto a diminutive form of the Italian word for beggar cf. lazzaro) is a quarantine station for maritime travellers. Lazarets can be ships permanently at anchor, isolated islands, or mainland buildings ...

of Aspretto (1843) *The

Citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

(1554) *The Sawmill at Les Salines (1944) *The Lighthouse on the Sanguinaires Islands (1844) ;Other sites of interest *The Monument in the Place du Casone *The old town and the Borgu are typically Mediterranean with their narrow streets and picturesque buildings *The Place Bonaparte, a quarter frequented chiefly by winter visitors attracted by the mild climate of the town. *The

Musée Fesch 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 uncl ...

houses a large collection of Italian Renaissance paintings *The Bandera Museum, a History Museum of Mediterranean Corsica *The Municipal library, in the north wing of Musée Fesch, has early printed books from as early as the 14th century *The area known as the Foreigners' Quarter has a number of old palaces, villas, and buildings once built for the wintering British in the

Belle Époque The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque (; French for "Beautiful Epoch") is a period of French and European history, usually considered to begin around 1871–1880 and to end with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era ...

such as the

and the Grand Hotel Continental. Some of the buildings are in bad condition and very degraded, others were destroyed for the construction of modern buildings. *The

Genoese tower The Genoese towers in Corsica (french: tours génoises de Corse, co, torri ghjenuvesi di Corsica, singular : , also ; it, torri genovesi di Corsica) are a series of coastal defences constructed by the Republic of Genoa between 1530 and 1620 to s ...

s: Torra di Capu di Fenu,

Torra di a Parata __NOTOC__ The Torra di a Parata ( en, Parata Tower, french: Tour de Parata) is a ruined Genoese tower located in the commune of Ajaccio, Corse-du-Sud, on the west coast of the island of Corsica, France. The tower sits at an elevation of on a ro ...

, and

Torra di Castelluchju The Tower of Castelluchju ( co, Torra di Castelluchju) is a ruined Genoese tower located in the commune of Ajaccio (Corse-du-Sud) off the west coast of the Corsica. The tower sits on the southern end of the Grande Sanguinaire, the largest island ...

in the Îles Sanguinaires archipelago *The Square Pierre Griffi (in front of the railway station), hero of the Corsican Resistance, one of the members of the ''Pearl Harbour secret mission'', the first operation launched in occupied Corsica to coordinate resistance. *The Statue of Commandant Jean L'Herminier (in front of the ferry terminal), commander of the

French submarine Casabianca (1935) ''Casabianca'' (Q183) was a ''Redoutable''-class submarine of the French Navy. The class is also known as the "1500-ton class" and were termed in French ''de grande patrouille''. She was named after Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca. Launched in 193 ...

which actively participated in the struggle for the liberation of Corsica in September 1943.

Religious heritage

The town is the seat of a bishopric dating at least from the 7th century. It has tribunals of first instance and of commerce, training colleges, a communal college, a museum and a library; the three latter are established in the Palais Fesch, founded by

Cardinal Fesch Joseph Fesch, Prince of France (3 January 1763 – 13 May 1839) was a French priest and diplomat, who was the maternal half-uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte (half-brother of Napoleon's mother Laetitia). In the wake of his nephew, he became Archbishop ...

, who was born at Ajaccio in 1763. The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: *The former Episcopal Palace at 24 Rue Bonaparte (1622) *The Oratory of Saint Roch at Rue Cardinal-Fesch (1599) *The Chapel of Saint Erasme or Sant'Erasmu at 22 Rue Forcioli-Conti (17th century) *The Oratory of Saint John the Baptist at Rue du Roi-de-Dome (1565) *The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta at Rue Saint-Charles (1582) from the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

which depended on the

diocese of Ajaccio The Diocese of Ajaccio (Latin: ''Dioecesis Adiacensis''; French: ''Diocèse d'Ajaccio'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in France.708, Pisan); on 30–31 July 1716 French_Concordat_of_1801,_the_dio ...

and where Napoleon was baptized with its organ from Cavaillé-Coll. *The Chapel of the Greeks on the Route des Sanguiunaires (1619) *The Early Christian Baptistery of Saint John (6th century) *The Imperial Chapel (1857) houses the graves of Napoleon's parents and his brothers and sisters. Chiesa di Saint-Roch ad Ajaccio

;Other religious sites of interest *The Church of Saint Roch,

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

by Ajaccien project architect Barthélémy Maglioli (1885)

Environmental heritage

*Sanguinaires Archipelago: **The Route des Sanguinaires runs along the southern coast of the city after the Saint François Beach. It is lined with villas and coves and beaches. Along the road is the Ajaccio cemetery with the grave of Corsican singer

Tino Rossi Constantin "Tino" Rossi (29 April 1907 – 26 September 1983) was a French singer and film actor of Corsican origin. Born in Ajaccio, Corsica, Rossi was gifted with a voice well suited for opera. He became a tenor in the French cabaret style. ...

. **At the mouth of the Route des Sanguinaires is the Pointe de la Parata near the archipelago and the

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

. File:Ajaccio Plage.jpg, The Saint François Beach File:Ajaccio Golfe1JPG.jpg, Gulf of Ajaccio File:PSajaccio8440tonemapped.jpg, The ''iles sanguinaires'' and views of la Parata from the ''sentier des crêtes'' File:PSajaccio8432tonemapped.jpg, Along the ''sentier des crêtes'': Skull Rock *The Sentier des Crêtes (Crest Trail) starts from the city centre and is an easy hike offering splendid views of the Gulf of Ajaccio. The shores of the Gulf are dotted with a multitude of small coves and beaches ideal for swimming and scuba diving. *Many small paths traversing the maquis (high ground covered in thick vegetation) in the commune from which the

Maquis Maquis may refer to: Resistance groups * Maquis (World War II), predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance * Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fought against Francoist Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War * The network ...

resistance network was named.

Interests

*The city has two marinas and a

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

. *The main activities are concentrated in the city centre on the ''Route des Sanguinaires'' (cinemas, bars, clubs etc.).

In popular culture

Films made in Ajaccio include: *

Napoléon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, one of the last successful French silent films by

Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J ...

in 1927. *Les Radonneurs, a French film directed by

Philippe Harel Philippe Harel (born 22 December 1956) is a French film director, actor and screenwriter. Selected filmography *'' The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed'' (1994) * ''Une visite'' (1996) (Short) * ''Les randonneurs'' (1997) * '' La femme d� ...

in 1997. *Les Sanguinaires, a film by

Laurent Cantet Laurent Cantet (; born 11 April 1961) is a French director, cinematographer and screenwriter. His film ''Entre les murs'' ('' The Class'') won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008. Biography Laurent Cantet was born in 1961 in the town ...

in 1998. *

The Amazing Race ''The Amazing Race'' is an adventure reality game show franchise in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. The ''Race'' is split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in forei ...

, an American TV series by

Elise Doganieri Elise Doganieri (born April 21, 1967) is an American co-creator and co-executive producer of the CBS reality show ''The Amazing Race''. Doganieri's other credits include serving as show producer of ABC's ''Profiles From the Front Line'' as well a ...

and

Bertram van Munster Bertram van Munster (born 1940) is a Dutch-born American co-creator and executive producer of ''The Amazing Race''. He is also the creator of ''Profiles from the Front Line'' and was the Executive Producer on ''Oprah's Big Give'' and ''Take the M ...

in 2001 (season 6 episode 9). *

L'Enquête Corse ''The Corsican File'' () is a 2004 French comedy film directed by Alain Berbérian. It is based on the comic book of the same name, one of the stories from the '' Jack Palmer'' series by René Pétillon. The film was produced by Gaumont and Leg ...

, directed by

Alain Berberian Alain may refer to: People * Alain (given name), common given name, including list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Alain (surname) * "Alain", a pseudonym for cartoonist Daniel Brustlein * Alain, a standard author abbreviation u ...

in 2004. *Trois petites filles, a French film directed by Jean-Loup Hubert in 2004. * Joueuse ( Queen to Play), a French film directed by Caroline Bottaro in 2009.

Sports

There are various sports facilities developed throughout the city. *

AC Ajaccio Athletic Club Ajaccio ( co, Athletic Club Aiacciu), commonly referred to as AC Ajaccio, ''ACA'' or simply Ajaccio, is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and ...

is a French

Ligue 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...

football club which plays at the Stade François Coty (13,500 seats) in the north-east of the city * Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio, in

Championnat National The Championnat de France National ( en, French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 18 clubs, t ...

, football club which plays at the

Stade Ange Casanova Stade Ange Casanova ( co, Stadiu Anghjulu Casanova) is a football stadium in Ajaccio, Corsica, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas Fran ...

located at ''Mezzavia'', 2,900 seats. *GFCO Ajaccio handball *GFCO Ajaccio Volleyball *GFCO Ajaccio Basketball *Vignetta Racecourse

Notable people

Jacques-Louis David - The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries - Google Art Project

Carlo Buonaparte Carlo Maria Buonaparte or Charles-Marie Bonaparte (27 March 1746 – 24 February 1785) was a Corsican lawyer and diplomat, best known as the father of Napoleon Bonaparte and grandfather of Napoleon III. Buonaparte served briefly as a personal ...

(1746–1785), politician, father of Napoleon Bonaparte *

Felice Pasquale Baciocchi Felice Pasquale Baciocchi (18 May 1762 – 27 April 1841) was born at Ajaccio into a noble, but poor, Corsican family. He was second lieutenant in the French army in 1778, lieutenant in 1788, then captain in 1794. Around 5 May 1797, he married El ...

(1762–1841), general of the armies of the Revolution and the Empire, brother in law of the Emperor Napoleon 1st,

Grand Duke of Tuscany The rulers of Tuscany varied over time, sometimes being margraves, the rulers of handfuls of border counties and sometimes the heads of the most important family of the region. Margraves of Tuscany, 812–1197 House of Boniface :These were origin ...

Joseph Fesch Joseph Fesch, Prince of France (3 January 1763 – 13 May 1839) was a French priest and diplomat, who was the maternal half-uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte (half-brother of Napoleon's mother Laetitia). In the wake of his nephew, he became Archbishop ...

(1763–1839), cardinal *

Joseph Bonaparte it, Giuseppe-Napoleone Buonaparte es, José Napoleón Bonaparte , house = Bonaparte , father = Carlo Buonaparte , mother = Letizia Ramolino , birth_date = 7 January 1768 , birth_place = Corte, Corsica, Republic of ...

(1768-1844), French statesman,

King of Naples The following is a list of rulers of the Kingdom of Naples, from its first separation from the Kingdom of Sicily to its merger with the same into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Kingdom of Naples (1282–1501) House of Anjou In 1382, the ...

King of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

(1769–1821), Emperor of France *

Lucien Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (born Luciano Buonaparte; 21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), was French politician and diplomat of the French Revolution and the Consulate. He served as Minister of the Interior from 1799 to 1800 ...

(1775–1840),

Prince of Canino and Musignano The Princes of Canino and Musignano formed the genealogically senior line of the House of Bonaparte, Bonaparte family following the death of Joseph Bonaparte in 1844. The line was succeeded by one of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon's younger b ...

, Interior Minister of France *

Elisa Bonaparte Maria Anna Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi Levoy (French: ''Marie Anne Elisa Bonaparte''; 3 January 1777 – 7 August 1820), better known as Elisa Bonaparte, was an imperial French princess and sister of Napoleon Bonaparte. She was Princess of Lucca ...

(1777–1820), Grand Duchess of Tuscany *

Louis Bonaparte Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (born Luigi Buonaparte; 2 September 1778 – 25 July 1846) was a younger brother of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland (a French cl ...

(1778–1846), King of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

Pauline Bonaparte Paula Maria Bonaparte Leclerc Borghese ( French: ''Pauline Marie Bonaparte''; 20 October 1780 – 9 June 1825), better known as Pauline Bonaparte, was an imperial French princess, the first sovereign Duchess of Guastalla, and the princess cons ...

(1780-1825), Duchess of

Guastalla Guastalla ( Guastallese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Geography Guastalla is situated in the Po Valley, and lies on the banks of the Po River. Guastalla is located at around from the citie ...

, Princess Consort of Sulmona and Rossano *

Caroline Bonaparte Carolina Maria Annunziata Bonaparte Murat Macdonald (French: ''Caroline Marie Annonciade Bonaparte''; 25 March 1782 – 18 May 1839), better known as Caroline Bonaparte, was an Imperial French princess; the seventh child and third daughter of Ca ...

(1782–1839), Queen Consort of Naples and Sicily * Jérôme Bonaparte (1784–1860), King of

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

François Coty François Coty (born Joseph Marie François Spoturno in Corsica ; 3 May 1874 – 25 July 1934) was a French perfumer, businessman, newspaper publisher, politician and patron of the arts. He was the founder of the Coty perfume company, today a ...

(1874–1934), perfumer, businessman, newspaper publisher and politician *

Irène Bordoni Irène Bordoni (16 January 1885 – 19 March 1953) was a Franco-American actress and singer. Early years Bordoni was born in Paris, France, to Sauveur Bordoni, a tailor, and Marie Lemonnier. The 19th-century painter Francis Millet was a great ...

(1895–1953), singer and actress *

(1907–1983), singer and actor *

Michel Giacometti Michel Giacometti (8 January 1929, Ajaccio, France – 24 November 1990, Faro, Portugal) was a French ethnomusicologist from Corsica who made important field recordings in Portugal. Biography Born in Ajaccio, Corsica on 8 January 1929, Giacomet ...

(1929–1990), ethnomusicologist *

François Duprat François Duprat (26 October 1940 – 18 March 1978) was an essayist and politician, a founding member of the Front National party and part of the leadership until his assassination in 1978. Duprat was one of the main architects in the introduct ...

(1941–1978), writer *

Michel Ferracci-Porri Michel Ferracci-Porri (born 24 September 1949) is a French writer. Bibliography *''La Môme Moineau'' (Normant Ed. France 2006) () *''Beaux Ténèbres, la pulsion du mal d'Eugène Weidman'' (Normant Ed. France 2008) () *''The Affair of the ...

(born 1949), writer *

Jean-Michel Cavalli Jean-Michel Cavalli (born 13 July 1957) is a French and Corsican football manager, who most recently managed MC Oran, and former player. Biography Cavalli started his playing career at Gazélec Ajaccio in 1971, also turning out for Corsican side ...

(born 1959), football player and manager *

Alizée Alizée Lyonnet (''née'' Jacotey; born 21 August 1984), known professionally as Alizée, is a French singer, dancer and musician. She was born and raised in Ajaccio, Corsica. She first became known with her winning performance in the talent s ...

(born 1984), singer

Military

Units that were stationed in Ajaccio: *163rd Infantry Regiment, 1906 *173rd Infantry Regiment *The Aspretto naval airbase for seaplanes 1938–1993

Gallery

File:Ajaccio.jpg, 1914 city map File:Ajaccio Bon Sta.jpg, Statue of Napoleon in Roman garb File:Ajaccio MN1JPG.jpg, Napoleon's birth house

References

External links

Official website

The Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays Ajaccien (CAPA) website

Tourism Office of Ajaccio website
{{Authority control Communes of Corse-du-Sud Prefectures in France