Culture of Ajaccio. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The Old Town part of the city has the greatest interest for tourists. Start your observation of the city’s points of interest from visiting Foch Square. The square is surrounded by beautiful old buildings. This place is genuinely liked by people who enjoy walking as picturesque cobbled streets are simply ideal for this kind of pastime. While walking through the square, you can easily reach the port area and look at the beautiful waterfront. The square of de Gaulle is one more popular place for walking. Of course, the main decoration of the square – a beautiful monument dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte – is hard to fail to notice. Despite the fact that Bonaparte lived only 9 years in this city, he has remained one of its main characters and symbols up till our time. You will find the building of the town hall near the square. The local town hall was built in 1826. Some of the halls of the town hall have been converted into Napoleon's Cathedral – this is a beautiful museum, which keeps personal items of Bonaparte and valuable historical documents.

Every day the area behind the town hall becomes the location of a large market. Local farmers traditionally bring their goods to this market, so visiting the local historical places can be conveniently diversified by shopping. Leticia Square is the location of the best-known landmark of the city. This attraction is also associated with the name of Napoleon. This is his family’s home, in which Bonaparte was born and in which he spent his childhood. The atmosphere in the house is kept as close as possible to the one that prevailed in the house a few centuries ago. Here visitors are able to see a rich collection of ancient weapons, paintings and miniatures, as well as documents and letters.

Just next to the beautiful house is located the cathedral, in which Napoleon was christened in 1771. Today the cathedral is considered the most beautiful and famous religious building of Ajaccio. Among the cultural institutions of the city we should definitely mention the open-air museum Capitelli, which accepts guests from May to October. The museum’s exhibition is devoted to the life of the local residents. Here you will be able to find the items from the 19th century. There is also an ancient fortress near the museum. In the 15th century a building of a fort was started on a place of the ancient fortress, but it was never completed. Today the fortress is closed for visitors, but travelers still come here to admire the historical place of interest at least from afar. Art lovers should definitely visit Fesh Museum - this is definitely the best gallery in the city. Cardinal Fesh has invested all his money into pictures. Today his priceless collection of art attracts visitors from all over the world. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

There is another museum called Naporama, which is dedicated to Napoleon. Through interactive exhibits and layouts, the alignment of forces from different battles is showcased here. Also on display are scenes from the life of the great emperor. One more interesting museum is called Musee A Bandera d'Ajaccio and is located in the center of the city. It is dedicated to the history of the island. Among the exhibits you can find here are models of ships, archives, documents, photographs, as well as models of battles that took place in Corsica as well as in its capital.

Citadelle is deserving of special attention. Impressive views of it can be beheld from afar. Sadly, it will not be possible to go inside as the place belongs to the Ministry of Defense. However, it is worth taking a walk around the historical monument and feeling the spirit of the times. The citadel was built in the year 1492 to protect against attacks from the sea. You can make a wonderful walk if you go north of the city and enjoy the views of the Chateau de la Punta. Besides the fact that the castle is has an amazing architecture, quite excellent panoramic views of the capital of Corsica open up from here.

Among the religious monuments worth mentioning, there is the La Chapelle Impériale. This is a beautiful white church located in the center of the city. Many interesting stories are connected with it and you should definitely listen to what is said about its construction and what happened here. At least the fact that Napoleon Bonaparte went to this church, already makes the locals proud of it. Notre Dame de Misericorde Cathedral is interesting due to the statue of Jesus Christ positioned outside, as well as for the fact that the church is very tall and seems to loom over the city. Music concerts and performances are often held here.

Place Foch is definitely a great place for walks. It has everything you need for a leisurely walk. There are also cafes and restaurants located on the square, a market, monuments, fountains, and parks with public gardens. Restaurants offer local cuisine, and the products on display in the market are always the freshest. The charm of the street is stunning – it is rather colorful and it is here that you can perhaps get acquainted with the “soul” of the city. The street is a major transportation hub of Ajaccio; people are constantly scattered about here, one of the busiest places in the city.