Tag Archives: Bonaparte family residence

We’ve left behind Ajaccio Cathedral, headed north east along Rue Saint-Charles, and have arrived at Maison Bonaparte, the ancestral home of the Bonaparte family and the place of birth of Napoleon. It may not look like much, but it’s a busy destination. I had to wait out the throngs to get the shot you see above. And that marble plaque above the door? It reads in Corsican “NAPOLEON | EST NE DANS CETTE MAISON | LE XV AOVT M·DCC·LXIX,” which translates to “NAPOLEON | BORN IN THIS HOUSE | THE 15 AUGUST 1769.

Check out the fun little boutique to the left of this museum house. It’s a nifty little shop with a lot of Napoleon-related trinkets and souvernirs, and it is affiliated with the Maison Bonaparte museum.

I don’t usually recommend souvenir shops. Indeed, I can’t remember ever having done so. But I’m making an exception today. This place was not only fun, it was cheap! I picked up an engraved, locking Corsican pocketknife with wood grips and a thumb stud for what I thought was a decent price. It turned out later that it was an exceptionally fair price. The same knife was going elsewhere for anywhere from 50% to 200% more. And it even came with a belt-loop sheath. But there’s more here than just souvenirs. Casa Bounaparte itself offers up some fun photographic subjects not found on the museum next door:

Indeed, it’s worth walking by just for a snapshot of this wonderful sign:

From Casa Buonaparte Ursula and I started slowly back to Vision of the Seas, but along a very indirect route that would take us well north of Plaza Foch. Here we found a pedestrian street that was fun to walk — Rue Cardinal Fesch. Lots of shops, street vendors, cafés, and restaurants in this area.

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