Ajaccio — pronounced “ah-YAH-cho”— is the capital city of Corsica, the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Although Corsica is located closer to the Italian mainland and Sardinia, it is a part of France — since 1768. As a territorial collectivity, Corsica enjoys a greater degree of autonomy than other regions of France.
Ajaccio is located on Corisca’s west coast, 210 nautical miles southeast of Marseille.
The city is home to nearly 70,000 residents who are known as Ajacciens or Ajacciennes.
5 Fun Facts to Know About Ajaccio
1. Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio in 1769 just after the city became the capital of Corsica.
At the age of nine, Napoleon was packed off to military school in northern France. Although from mostly Italian-Corsican heritage, Napoleon rose through the ranks of the French military to become the leader of France and subsequently Emperor. For a time he also ruled most of Europe.
Reminders of Napoleon are everywhere in Ajaccio. Maison Bonaparte, the house where Napoleon was born, is a museum. There are statues and streets named after Napoleon. Even Ajaccio’s airport is named after the city’s most famous resident.
2. Ajaccio Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Ajaccio was built between 1577 and 1593.
According to legend, Letizia Buonaparte was in the cathedral on August 15, 1769 when she suddenly felt labor pains. She rushed her home, just steps away, and gave birth to Napoleon on a first floor sofa before she could reach her bedroom upstairs.
Napoleon Bonaparte was baptized in Ajaccio Cathedral on July 21st, 1771.
3. The founder of the world’s largest perfume company was born in Ajaccio.
François Coty — founder of the Coty perfume and beauty empire — was born Joseph Marie François Spoturno in Ajaccio on May 3, 1874. He later changed his last name to Coty, a variation of his mother’s maiden name.
After moving to Paris and studying perfumery, François created his first fragrance, Cologne Coty and founded Coty, Inc. Some of scents were inspired by the Corsican maquis, the aromatic scrubland that covers much of the island.
Today Coty, Inc — based in New York — is one of the world’s largest fragrance and beauty companies with more than $9 billion in revenue in 2018.
4. Ajaccio became the first French town to be liberated from the German occupation during WW II
On September 9th, 1943 –during World War II — the people of Ajaccio rose up against the Nazi occupiers. It was the first French city to be freed from German occupation.
On October 8, 1943 General Charles de Gaulle traveled to Ajaccio and proclaimed, “We owe it to the field of battle the lesson of the page of history that was written in French Corsica. Corsica to her fortune and honor is the first morsel of France to be liberated; which was done intentionally and willingly, in the light of its liberation, this demonstrates that these are the intentions and the will of the whole nation.”
5. Ajaccio is a good place to try the local wine.
Ajaccio AOC is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for wine made from grapes grown near the city of Ajaccio on sloping hillsides that look down over the Mediterranean Sea.
Sciaccarello wine grapes — the main variety grown in Ajaccio — tend to give both red and rosé wines a distinctive flavor. The vineyards are planted on granitic soil that is well-suited for wine-growing.
The Ajaccio AOC is just one of nine AOC wine regions in Corsica including the island-wide designation Vin de Corse AOC. Corsica is the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean, with the average elevation of a Corsican vineyard at 1,600 to 2,300 feet above sea level. While the vines receive an average 2,750 hours of sunshine per year, the sea and mountains temper the heat.
While the island’s climate is perfect for making wine, Corsican wine is not widely distributed. Most Corsican wine remains on the island for the residents and visitors to drink.
Check out these resources to learn more about Ajaccio and the island of Corsica:
AJACCIO, CORSICA: An Isle of Valleys, Villages, and Peaks of Fire
Looking For Napoleon! A Kid’s Guide To Ajaccio, Corsica, France
Have you visited Corsica? What fun fact can you add?
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