Napoleon in Ajaccio: the house, the museum and the statue

During his exile on Elba Island, often the nostalgic Emperor of the French stood by the sea, looking to his beloved Corsica. And, in particular, Napoleon loved Ajaccio, his town of birth. A city where it’s possible to make a trip on traces of the Corsican Emperor.

And the traces of Napoleon in Ajaccio are three: the house, the museum, and the statue.

House of Napoleon – Musée National de la Maison Bonaparte is in the old town centre of Ajaccio. It’s the most populated neighborhood of the city, a maze of alleyways and little squares, of houses and old palaces. Napoleon was born in a sober luxury apartment house, in 1769. In the museum are collected relics of the young Napoleon.

City hall Napoleonic museum – Amog the other things, in this museum are conserved documents of Napoleon and his family, a portrait made by Gérard, and a bust made by Antonio Canova. The city hall is a 1930’s style building.

Statue of Napoleon – This trip on traces of Napoleon in Ajaccio ends here, with his symbolic statue. It’s in Place Foch (one of the things to see in Ajaccio). Its  base is a fountain with four lions.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/gillyan9