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Cultural events : Culture and tradition
Architecture, Historical, Identity, Heritage
Architecture, Historical, Identity, Heritage
Presentation
The activities proposed by the Town of Ajaccio for the 42nd European Heritage Days will take place from 18 to 21 September 2025 on the theme of "architectural heritage".
From emblematic monuments to vernacular buildings, from interior decorations to furnishings, architecture is a powerful marker of local, national and European history, cultural identity and collective memory.
Much more than just a living environment, it embodies artistic and technical know-how, shapes urban and rural landscapes, and reflects the evolution of our societies over the centuries. 2025 also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, the founding event of Art Deco.
A national commemoration punctuated by exhibitions and symposia, rediscovering an exceptional creative heritage.
Friday 20 September will be especially dedicated to schoolchildren, to help them get to know their heritage.
With the "Raise your eyes" operation launched in 2019 in partnership with the French Ministry of Education, schoolchildren will be able to discover the heritage of their region, learn about its history and special features, and become aware of the importance of protecting and promoting it.
During these days, we will be offering a retrospective devoted to the distant past of the Saint-Jean district, with special access to the eponymous antiquarium, inaugurated on 3 July 2025, a symbol of the historical and architectural renewal of Ajaccio's birthplace.
Further information
PROGRAMME
Thursday 18 September 2025
Saint-Jean Antiquarium
Meeting point : Antiquarium Saint-Jean, place Toussaint Torre
Opening times: 5.00 pm to 5.45 pm and 6.00 pm to 6.45 pm
Length of visit: approximately 45 minutes
Bookings: info.ciap@ajaccio.fr - Limited to 20 people per slot.
Description: The archaeological interest of the Saint-Jean district has been highlighted since 1740, and the discoveries made have led to the location of Ajaccio's ancient town in this sector. Research carried out since 2005 has uncovered an ancient necropolis, early Christian and medieval remains, as well as an episcopal group including the foundations of Ajaccio's first cathedral and its baptistery, dating from the 6th century.
This discovery encouraged the Town of Ajaccio and the DRAC to carry out a conservation and enhancement programme that led to the creation of the Antiquarium. Its main purpose is to showcase and conserve the archaeological remains of the baptistery of Saint-Jean and the sarcophagus of the "Good Shepherd".
The Antiquarium complements the Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre (CIAP), creating a dialogue around the origins of the town.
Aiacciu Bellu
Meeting point : CIAP Aiacciu Bellu, former Maison Elisa, Quai L'Herminier
Visiting hours: From 09.15 to 18.00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: What is Ajaccio? The first and main foundation of our identity is this gulf, which Joseph Bonaparte described as the most beautiful in the world. A town was built on its coastline in 1492, a symbolic date.
And then the marvellous happened, because Ajaccio is what André Malraux described as the anti-destiny. Who would have thought that this relatively quiet bastion of the Mediterranean would escape its destiny to become part of the great history of humanity? No one did.
In 1943, however, it became, in the words of General de Gaulle, "the first piece of France to be liberated" during the Second World War, and above all, on 15 August 1769, Napoleon, the self-made man, was born here.
The Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre takes us back in time with a 3D film and a permanent exhibition.
Friday 19 September 2025:
Aiacciu Bellu
Meeting point: CIAP Aiacciu Bellu, former Maison Elisa, Quai L'Herminier
Visiting hours: From 09.15 to 18.00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: What is Ajaccio? The first and main foundation of our identity is this gulf, which Joseph Bonaparte described as the most beautiful in the world. A town was built on its coastline in 1492, a symbolic date.
And then the marvellous happened, because Ajaccio is what André Malraux described as the anti-destiny. Who would have thought that this relatively quiet bastion of the Mediterranean would escape its destiny and become part of the great history of humanity? No one did.
In 1943, however, it became, in the words of General de Gaulle, "the first piece of France to be liberated" during the Second World War, and above all, on 15 August 1769, Napoleon, the self-made man, was born here.
The Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre takes us back in time with a 3D film and a permanent exhibition.
The little archaeologists of Saint-Jean
Meeting point : Saint-Jean Antiquarium, place Toussaint Torre
Opening times: 08:45 to 12:00 - 14:00 to 17:00
Length of visit: approx. 1h30
Bookings: info.ciap@ajaccio.fr - For primary schools only
Description: All day long, "Les petits archéologues" will be using the Saint-Jean antiquarium as their field of investigation. This supervised treasure hunt is for primary school children accompanied by their teachers.
First, they will take part in a guided tour of the site as a group (15 minutes). Then, in teams of 2 or 3, they'll have to follow a timed trail on the esplanade around the antiquarium to solve a series of riddles, presented in the form of games, to help them put the Saint-Jean site back in time and space. All the answers to the riddles were given during the visit.
The history of the Alban factory
Meeting point : Palais Fesch, Grand Gallery
Schedule: 6.30pm
Length of lecture: approx. 1h30
Reservations: Free admission
Description: The Alban factory is the story of the first tobacco processing plant in Corsica. Situated on the border between the districts of Saint-Jean, Sainte-Lucie and the railway station, this factory is the only urban example of an attempt at industrialisation in the south of the island. The factory only operated for twenty years, between 1920 and 1940, but it remains an important physical testimony to Ajaccio's history and is an early sign of the area's development in the twentieth century, anticipating the post-war urban push. This is all the more important given that it was in its immediate vicinity that the sarcophagus of the "Good Shepherd" was discovered in 1938 and the Palaeochristian remains in 2005. Laure Quatrini Ceccaldi, a member of the A Mimoria learned society and a former factory superintendent, will tell us all about this history.
Saturday 20th September 2025
Aiacciu Bellu
Meeting point : CIAP Aiacciu Bellu, former Maison Elisa, Quai L'Herminier
Visiting hours: From 09.15 to 18.00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: What is Ajaccio? The first and main foundation of our identity is this gulf, which Joseph Bonaparte described as the most beautiful in the world. A town was built on its coastline in 1492, a symbolic date.
And then the marvellous happened, because Ajaccio is what André Malraux described as the anti-destiny. Who would have thought that this relatively quiet bastion of the Mediterranean would escape its destiny and become part of the great history of humanity? No one did.
In 1943, however, it became, in the words of General de Gaulle, "the first piece of France to be liberated" during the Second World War, and above all, on 15 August 1769, Napoleon, the self-made man, was born here.
The Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre takes us back in time with a 3D film and a permanent exhibition.
Escape game "Les énigmes de Saint-Jean" and interactive role-playing game "Les archéologues de Saint-Jean".
Meeting point: Saint-Jean Antiquarium, place Toussaint Torre
Game times: 08:30 to 17:00 and 18:00 to 20:30
Duration of the game: approx. 1 hour
Bookings: info.ciap@ajaccio.fr - General public
Description of the escape game: In this escape game based on the theme of archaeology, young and old are invited to play the role of apprentice researchers: in a limited time they will go from clue to clue (plans, archive documents or objects) to discover the Saint-Jean site. The game is open to everyone, individuals, families or teams, from 9.30am to 5pm.
Description of the role-playing game: In this fun, storytelling experience, which takes place in public, our guest players are confronted with the challenges of archaeology, which they must face using their imagination, resourcefulness and humour, as part of an interactive scenario in which they themselves take on the role of researchers studying the Saint-Jean site. An expert will comment on their ideas, their discoveries and their wackiest mistakes. The game runs from 6.00 pm to 8.30 pm.
The Palais Fesch and the Imperial Chapel
Meeting point : Palais Fesch, 50 rue du cardinal Fesch
Opening hours : From 09:15 to 18:00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: As in previous years, the Palais Fesch-Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Imperial Chapel will be open to the public free of charge during the Heritage Days. Visitors will be able to discover the entire collections, from the famous Italian Primitives to masterpieces from the Napoleonic collections, not forgetting the collections of Corsican paintings. This will also be an opportunity to enjoy the temporary exhibition Des forêts, des esprits et des hommes. Photographs by Bae Bien-U in Corsica.
Forests, spirits and people Photographs by Bae Bien-U in Corsica.
Meeting point: Palais Fesch, 50 rue du cardinal Fesch
Opening hours: 9.15am to 6pm
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: Bae Bien-U has been practising the art of photography for some forty years. Today, he is undoubtedly Korea's greatest photographer. Recognised the world over, his works reflect the concern of the Korean people to live in harmony with nature. Bae Bien-U takes panoramic photographs of nature in perpetual motion.
Discovering Corsica, how could Bae Bien-U not have been bewitched by landscapes that for him are full of echoes of his distant homeland? During an artistic residency, he entered into a close dialogue with nature, all forests and mountains. The trees stand sentinel. He rediscovered the universal march of trees, stubborn, resistant and faithful, against all odds. Clinging to the steep slopes of Corsica, they are gnarled and aged like the pines so symbolic of his native Korea. Pines are endemic to Korea too, and for centuries they have embodied the ideals of this deep, meditative culture, one of the "four friends of the learned".
Ajaccio Discover the architectural heritage of the old town
Meeting point : Office Intercommunal de Tourisme, boulevard du Roi Jérôme
Departure : 10.00 am and 2.00 pm
Length of visit: approximately 2 hours from the Tourist Office
Registration: Office Intercommunal de Tourisme du Pays d'Ajaccio on 04.95.51.35.03. Limited number of people.
Description: Take a stroll through the heart of Ajaccio's old town and delve into the origins of its creation. Through its picturesque narrow streets, discover a unique architectural heritage that bears witness to different eras and influences.
Emblematic monuments and facades steeped in history are revealed along the way, along with some little-known anecdotes.
Sunday 21 September 2024
Ajaccio, archaeology of a city
Meeting point : Palais Fesch, Grand Gallery
Lecture times: 09.15am to 12.00pm - 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Reservations: Free admission
Description: As part of the European Heritage Days that Ajaccio is devoting to the remains of Saint-Jean, a conference is being organised at the Palais Fesch by Daniel Istria, Director of Research at the CNRS and Deputy Director of the Medieval and Modern Archaeology Laboratory in the Mediterranean.
The morning sessions will focus on the archaeological history of Saint-Jean, while the afternoon sessions will extend the subject to military and underwater archaeology in Ajaccio:
Vassiliki Gaggadis-Robin, CNRS senior research fellow: The sarcophagus of the four seasons
Daniel Istria: From mausoleum to cathedral
Franca Cibecchini, Assistant to the director for preventive and programmed archaeology, responsible for the Corsican coastline, DRASSM: Wrecks in the Gulf of Ajaccio
Alicia Orsini, heritage architect: The Saint-Jean Antiquarium project
The Palais Fesch and the Imperial Chapel
Meeting point: Palais Fesch, 50 rue du cardinal Fesch
Opening hours : From 09:15 to 18:00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: As in previous years, the Palais Fesch-Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Imperial Chapel will be open to the public free of charge during the Heritage Days. Visitors will be able to discover the entire collections, from the famous Italian Primitives to masterpieces from the Napoleonic collections, not forgetting the collections of Corsican paintings. This will also be an opportunity to enjoy the temporary exhibition Des forêts, des esprits et des hommes. Photographs by Bae Bien-U in Corsica.
Forests, spirits and people Photographs by Bae Bien-U in Corsica.
Meeting point: Palais Fesch, 50 rue du cardinal Fesch
Opening hours: 9.15am to 6pm
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: Bae Bien-U has been practising the art of photography for some forty years. Today, he is undoubtedly Korea's greatest photographer. Recognised the world over, his works reflect the concern of the Korean people to live in harmony with nature. Bae Bien-U takes panoramic photographs of nature in perpetual motion.
Discovering Corsica, how could Bae Bien-U not have been bewitched by landscapes that for him are full of echoes of his distant homeland? During an artistic residency, he entered into a close dialogue with nature, all forests and mountains. The trees stand sentinel. He rediscovered the universal march of trees, stubborn, resistant and faithful, against all odds. Clinging to the steep slopes of Corsica, they are gnarled and aged like the pines so symbolic of his native Korea. Pines are endemic to Korea too, and for centuries they have embodied the ideals of this deep, meditative culture, one of the "four friends of the learned".
Aiacciu Bellu
Meeting point : CIAP Aiacciu Bellu, former Maison Elisa, Quai L'Herminier
Visiting hours: From 09.15 to 18.00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: What is Ajaccio? The first and main foundation of our identity is this gulf, which Joseph Bonaparte described as the most beautiful in the world. A town was built on its coastline in 1492, a symbolic date.
And then the marvellous happened, because Ajaccio is what André Malraux described as the anti-destiny. Who would have thought that this relatively quiet bastion of the Mediterranean would escape its destiny to become part of the great history of humanity? No one did.
In 1943, however, it became, in the words of General de Gaulle, "the first piece of France to be liberated" during the Second World War, and above all, on 15 August 1769, Napoleon, the self-made man, was born here.
The Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre takes us back in time with a 3D film and a permanent exhibition.
Thursday 18 September 2025
Saint-Jean Antiquarium
Meeting point : Antiquarium Saint-Jean, place Toussaint Torre
Opening times: 5.00 pm to 5.45 pm and 6.00 pm to 6.45 pm
Length of visit: approximately 45 minutes
Bookings: info.ciap@ajaccio.fr - Limited to 20 people per slot.
Description: The archaeological interest of the Saint-Jean district has been highlighted since 1740, and the discoveries made have led to the location of Ajaccio's ancient town in this sector. Research carried out since 2005 has uncovered an ancient necropolis, early Christian and medieval remains, as well as an episcopal group including the foundations of Ajaccio's first cathedral and its baptistery, dating from the 6th century.
This discovery encouraged the Town of Ajaccio and the DRAC to carry out a conservation and enhancement programme that led to the creation of the Antiquarium. Its main purpose is to showcase and conserve the archaeological remains of the baptistery of Saint-Jean and the sarcophagus of the "Good Shepherd".
The Antiquarium complements the Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre (CIAP), creating a dialogue around the origins of the town.
Aiacciu Bellu
Meeting point : CIAP Aiacciu Bellu, former Maison Elisa, Quai L'Herminier
Visiting hours: From 09.15 to 18.00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: What is Ajaccio? The first and main foundation of our identity is this gulf, which Joseph Bonaparte described as the most beautiful in the world. A town was built on its coastline in 1492, a symbolic date.
And then the marvellous happened, because Ajaccio is what André Malraux described as the anti-destiny. Who would have thought that this relatively quiet bastion of the Mediterranean would escape its destiny to become part of the great history of humanity? No one did.
In 1943, however, it became, in the words of General de Gaulle, "the first piece of France to be liberated" during the Second World War, and above all, on 15 August 1769, Napoleon, the self-made man, was born here.
The Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre takes us back in time with a 3D film and a permanent exhibition.
Friday 19 September 2025:
Aiacciu Bellu
Meeting point: CIAP Aiacciu Bellu, former Maison Elisa, Quai L'Herminier
Visiting hours: From 09.15 to 18.00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: What is Ajaccio? The first and main foundation of our identity is this gulf, which Joseph Bonaparte described as the most beautiful in the world. A town was built on its coastline in 1492, a symbolic date.
And then the marvellous happened, because Ajaccio is what André Malraux described as the anti-destiny. Who would have thought that this relatively quiet bastion of the Mediterranean would escape its destiny and become part of the great history of humanity? No one did.
In 1943, however, it became, in the words of General de Gaulle, "the first piece of France to be liberated" during the Second World War, and above all, on 15 August 1769, Napoleon, the self-made man, was born here.
The Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre takes us back in time with a 3D film and a permanent exhibition.
The little archaeologists of Saint-Jean
Meeting point : Saint-Jean Antiquarium, place Toussaint Torre
Opening times: 08:45 to 12:00 - 14:00 to 17:00
Length of visit: approx. 1h30
Bookings: info.ciap@ajaccio.fr - For primary schools only
Description: All day long, "Les petits archéologues" will be using the Saint-Jean antiquarium as their field of investigation. This supervised treasure hunt is for primary school children accompanied by their teachers.
First, they will take part in a guided tour of the site as a group (15 minutes). Then, in teams of 2 or 3, they'll have to follow a timed trail on the esplanade around the antiquarium to solve a series of riddles, presented in the form of games, to help them put the Saint-Jean site back in time and space. All the answers to the riddles were given during the visit.
The history of the Alban factory
Meeting point : Palais Fesch, Grand Gallery
Schedule: 6.30pm
Length of lecture: approx. 1h30
Reservations: Free admission
Description: The Alban factory is the story of the first tobacco processing plant in Corsica. Situated on the border between the districts of Saint-Jean, Sainte-Lucie and the railway station, this factory is the only urban example of an attempt at industrialisation in the south of the island. The factory only operated for twenty years, between 1920 and 1940, but it remains an important physical testimony to Ajaccio's history and is an early sign of the area's development in the twentieth century, anticipating the post-war urban push. This is all the more important given that it was in its immediate vicinity that the sarcophagus of the "Good Shepherd" was discovered in 1938 and the Palaeochristian remains in 2005. Laure Quatrini Ceccaldi, a member of the A Mimoria learned society and a former factory superintendent, will tell us all about this history.
Saturday 20th September 2025
Aiacciu Bellu
Meeting point : CIAP Aiacciu Bellu, former Maison Elisa, Quai L'Herminier
Visiting hours: From 09.15 to 18.00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: What is Ajaccio? The first and main foundation of our identity is this gulf, which Joseph Bonaparte described as the most beautiful in the world. A town was built on its coastline in 1492, a symbolic date.
And then the marvellous happened, because Ajaccio is what André Malraux described as the anti-destiny. Who would have thought that this relatively quiet bastion of the Mediterranean would escape its destiny and become part of the great history of humanity? No one did.
In 1943, however, it became, in the words of General de Gaulle, "the first piece of France to be liberated" during the Second World War, and above all, on 15 August 1769, Napoleon, the self-made man, was born here.
The Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre takes us back in time with a 3D film and a permanent exhibition.
Escape game "Les énigmes de Saint-Jean" and interactive role-playing game "Les archéologues de Saint-Jean".
Meeting point: Saint-Jean Antiquarium, place Toussaint Torre
Game times: 08:30 to 17:00 and 18:00 to 20:30
Duration of the game: approx. 1 hour
Bookings: info.ciap@ajaccio.fr - General public
Description of the escape game: In this escape game based on the theme of archaeology, young and old are invited to play the role of apprentice researchers: in a limited time they will go from clue to clue (plans, archive documents or objects) to discover the Saint-Jean site. The game is open to everyone, individuals, families or teams, from 9.30am to 5pm.
Description of the role-playing game: In this fun, storytelling experience, which takes place in public, our guest players are confronted with the challenges of archaeology, which they must face using their imagination, resourcefulness and humour, as part of an interactive scenario in which they themselves take on the role of researchers studying the Saint-Jean site. An expert will comment on their ideas, their discoveries and their wackiest mistakes. The game runs from 6.00 pm to 8.30 pm.
The Palais Fesch and the Imperial Chapel
Meeting point : Palais Fesch, 50 rue du cardinal Fesch
Opening hours : From 09:15 to 18:00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: As in previous years, the Palais Fesch-Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Imperial Chapel will be open to the public free of charge during the Heritage Days. Visitors will be able to discover the entire collections, from the famous Italian Primitives to masterpieces from the Napoleonic collections, not forgetting the collections of Corsican paintings. This will also be an opportunity to enjoy the temporary exhibition Des forêts, des esprits et des hommes. Photographs by Bae Bien-U in Corsica.
Forests, spirits and people Photographs by Bae Bien-U in Corsica.
Meeting point: Palais Fesch, 50 rue du cardinal Fesch
Opening hours: 9.15am to 6pm
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: Bae Bien-U has been practising the art of photography for some forty years. Today, he is undoubtedly Korea's greatest photographer. Recognised the world over, his works reflect the concern of the Korean people to live in harmony with nature. Bae Bien-U takes panoramic photographs of nature in perpetual motion.
Discovering Corsica, how could Bae Bien-U not have been bewitched by landscapes that for him are full of echoes of his distant homeland? During an artistic residency, he entered into a close dialogue with nature, all forests and mountains. The trees stand sentinel. He rediscovered the universal march of trees, stubborn, resistant and faithful, against all odds. Clinging to the steep slopes of Corsica, they are gnarled and aged like the pines so symbolic of his native Korea. Pines are endemic to Korea too, and for centuries they have embodied the ideals of this deep, meditative culture, one of the "four friends of the learned".
Ajaccio Discover the architectural heritage of the old town
Meeting point : Office Intercommunal de Tourisme, boulevard du Roi Jérôme
Departure : 10.00 am and 2.00 pm
Length of visit: approximately 2 hours from the Tourist Office
Registration: Office Intercommunal de Tourisme du Pays d'Ajaccio on 04.95.51.35.03. Limited number of people.
Description: Take a stroll through the heart of Ajaccio's old town and delve into the origins of its creation. Through its picturesque narrow streets, discover a unique architectural heritage that bears witness to different eras and influences.
Emblematic monuments and facades steeped in history are revealed along the way, along with some little-known anecdotes.
Sunday 21 September 2024
Ajaccio, archaeology of a city
Meeting point : Palais Fesch, Grand Gallery
Lecture times: 09.15am to 12.00pm - 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Reservations: Free admission
Description: As part of the European Heritage Days that Ajaccio is devoting to the remains of Saint-Jean, a conference is being organised at the Palais Fesch by Daniel Istria, Director of Research at the CNRS and Deputy Director of the Medieval and Modern Archaeology Laboratory in the Mediterranean.
The morning sessions will focus on the archaeological history of Saint-Jean, while the afternoon sessions will extend the subject to military and underwater archaeology in Ajaccio:
Vassiliki Gaggadis-Robin, CNRS senior research fellow: The sarcophagus of the four seasons
Daniel Istria: From mausoleum to cathedral
Franca Cibecchini, Assistant to the director for preventive and programmed archaeology, responsible for the Corsican coastline, DRASSM: Wrecks in the Gulf of Ajaccio
Alicia Orsini, heritage architect: The Saint-Jean Antiquarium project
The Palais Fesch and the Imperial Chapel
Meeting point: Palais Fesch, 50 rue du cardinal Fesch
Opening hours : From 09:15 to 18:00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: As in previous years, the Palais Fesch-Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Imperial Chapel will be open to the public free of charge during the Heritage Days. Visitors will be able to discover the entire collections, from the famous Italian Primitives to masterpieces from the Napoleonic collections, not forgetting the collections of Corsican paintings. This will also be an opportunity to enjoy the temporary exhibition Des forêts, des esprits et des hommes. Photographs by Bae Bien-U in Corsica.
Forests, spirits and people Photographs by Bae Bien-U in Corsica.
Meeting point: Palais Fesch, 50 rue du cardinal Fesch
Opening hours: 9.15am to 6pm
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: Bae Bien-U has been practising the art of photography for some forty years. Today, he is undoubtedly Korea's greatest photographer. Recognised the world over, his works reflect the concern of the Korean people to live in harmony with nature. Bae Bien-U takes panoramic photographs of nature in perpetual motion.
Discovering Corsica, how could Bae Bien-U not have been bewitched by landscapes that for him are full of echoes of his distant homeland? During an artistic residency, he entered into a close dialogue with nature, all forests and mountains. The trees stand sentinel. He rediscovered the universal march of trees, stubborn, resistant and faithful, against all odds. Clinging to the steep slopes of Corsica, they are gnarled and aged like the pines so symbolic of his native Korea. Pines are endemic to Korea too, and for centuries they have embodied the ideals of this deep, meditative culture, one of the "four friends of the learned".
Aiacciu Bellu
Meeting point : CIAP Aiacciu Bellu, former Maison Elisa, Quai L'Herminier
Visiting hours: From 09.15 to 18.00
Length of visit: Self-guided tour
Description: What is Ajaccio? The first and main foundation of our identity is this gulf, which Joseph Bonaparte described as the most beautiful in the world. A town was built on its coastline in 1492, a symbolic date.
And then the marvellous happened, because Ajaccio is what André Malraux described as the anti-destiny. Who would have thought that this relatively quiet bastion of the Mediterranean would escape its destiny to become part of the great history of humanity? No one did.
In 1943, however, it became, in the words of General de Gaulle, "the first piece of France to be liberated" during the Second World War, and above all, on 15 August 1769, Napoleon, the self-made man, was born here.
The Aiacciu Bellu Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre takes us back in time with a 3D film and a permanent exhibition.
