Ajaccio is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the Collectivité territoriale de Corse (capital city of Corsica). It is also the largest settlement on the island. Ajaccio is located on the west coast of the island of Corsica, 210 nautical miles (390 km) southeast of Marseille.
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Corsica |
| Department | Corse-du-Sud |
| Mayor | Laurent Marcangeli |
| Area1 | 82.03 km2 (31.67 sq mi) |
| Population | 70,659 |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Ajacciens or Ajacciennes. The most famous of these is Napoleon Bonaparte, who was born in Ajaccio in 1769, and whose ancestral home, the Maison Bonaparte, is now a museum.
Economy
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, Propriano and the Tino Rossi marina. It also manages Ajaccio airport and Figari airport as well as the convention centre and the Centre of Ricanto.
Transport
Communal bus services
The Muvistrada provide services on 21 urban routes, one “city” route for local links and 20 suburban lines.
Airport
The city is served by an Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport which is the headquarters of Air Corsica, 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.
Port
The port of Ajaccio is connected to the French mainland on an almost daily basis (Marseille, Toulon, Nice).
There are also occasional links to the Italian mainland (Livorno) and to Sardinia, as well as a seasonal service serving Calvi and Propriano.
Railways
The railway station in Ajaccio belongs to Chemins de Fer de la Corse and is located near the port at the Square Pierre Griffi. It connects Ajaccio to Corte, Bastia (3h 25min) and Calvi.
Health
Ajaccio has three hospital sites:
- the Misericordia Hospital,
- The Annex Eugenie.
- the Psychiatric Hospital of Castelluccio
Education
Ajaccio is the headquarters of the Academy of Corsica.
Higher education is undeveloped except for a few BTS and IFSI, the University of Corsica Pascal Paoli 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 Mediterranean Sea, 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 Monument to the First Consul in the Place Foch (1850)
- The Grand Hotel at Cours Grandval (1869)
- The Monument to Cardinal Fesch at the Cour du Musée Fesch (1856)
- The Milelli House in the Saint-Antoine Quarter (17th century)
- The Hotel de Ville (1836)
- Napoleon Bonaparte’s House (17th century) now a national museum: the Maison Bonaparte
- The old Lazaretto of Aspretto, etc.
Religious heritage
Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption
The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
- The former Episcopal Palace at 24 Rue Bonaparte (1622)
- The Chapel of Saint Erasme or Sant’Erasmu at 22 Rue Forcioli-Conti (17th century)
- The Chapel of the Greeks on the Route des Sanguiunaires (1619)
- The Early Christian Baptistery of Saint John (6th century)
Interests
- The city has two marinas and a casino.
- The main activities are concentrated in the city centre on the Route des Sanguinaires (cinemas, bars, clubs etc.).
Sports
There are various sports facilities developed throughout the city.
- AC Ajaccio is a French Ligue 2 football club,
- Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio,
- GFCO Ajaccio handball
- GFCO Ajaccio Volleyball
- GFCO Ajaccio Basketball
- Vignetta Racecourse
