Ajaccio, Corsica's main metropolis, is all class and seduction. Looming over this elegant port city is the spectre of Corsica's great general: Napoléon Bonaparte was born here in 1769 and the city is dotted with statues and museums relating to him (starting with the main street in Ajaccio, cours Napoléon).
Kiosks on the quayside opposite place du Maréchal Foch sell tickets for seasonal boat trips around the Golfe d’Ajaccio and Îles Sanguinaires(adult/child €25/15), and excursions to the Réserve Naturelle de Scandola (adult/child €55/35).
Palais Fesch – Musée des Beaux-ArtsART MUSEUM
One of the island’s must-sees, this superb museum established by Napoléon’s uncle has France’s largest collection of Italian paintings outside the Louvre. Mostly the works of minor or anonymous 14th- to 19th-century artists, there are also canvases by Titian, Fra Bartolomeo, Veronese, Botticelli and Bellini. Look out for La Vierge à l’Enfant Soutenu par un Ange (Mother and Child Supported by an Angel), one of Botticelli’s masterpieces. The museum also houses temporary exhibitions.
Maison BonaparteHOUSE MUSEUM
Napoléon spent his first nine years in this house. Ransacked by Corsican nationalists in 1793, requisitioned by English troops from 1794 to 1796, and eventually rebuilt by Napoléon’s mother, the house became a place of pilgrimage for French revolutionaries. It hosts memorabilia of the emperor and his siblings, including a glass medallion containing a lock of his hair. A comprehensive audioguide (€2) is available in several languages.
AIR
Bus 8 (€4.50, 20 minutes) links Aéroport d'Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte (www.2a.cci.fr/Aeroport-Napoleon-Bonaparte-Ajaccio.html), 8km east, with Ajaccio's train and bus stations.
BOAT
Boats to/from Toulon, Nice and Marseille depart from Ajaccio's Terminal Maritime et Routier.
BUS
Local bus companies have ticket kiosks inside the ferry terminal building, the arrival/departure point for buses.
TRAIN
From the train station (place de la Gare), services include Bastia (€21.60, four hours, five daily).
0 comments:
Post a Comment