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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The citadel of Ajaccio was originally built in the 16th century by the Republic of Genoa to control the bay and secure its settlement in Corsica. In 1492, under the direction of Domenico de Negroni and architect Cristofaro de Gandino, a square tower surrounded by ditches and military barracks was erected on the promontory of Punta della leccia, a site chosen for its natural isolation on three sides by the sea. This first state, of medieval design, was completed in 1502 by walls surrounding a new neighborhood and a ditch carved in the rock.

In 1553 the citadel was occupied by the French under Paul de La Barthe de Thermes, who transformed it with the help of Giordano Orsini. Returned to Genoa in 1559 by the treaties of the Cateau-Cambrésis, it was reinforced by engineer Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fristino from 1563 to protect itself from Turkish attacks, after the diplomatic mission of Sampiero Corso to the Great Turk. Fratino introduced innovations like a break between the citadel and the city, destroying houses and churches, including the Cathedral of Santa Croce, and designed a system of coastal towers, including the first Martello tower in Mortella.

In the 18th century, the citadel was the scene of the disturbances of Easter 1792, a conflict between the National Guards, including Napoleon Bonaparte, then lieutenant-colonel, and the inhabitants of Ajaccio. The confrontation, triggered by a dispute during a bowling game, degenerated into violence, killing several people. Bonaparte played a central role in exciting troops against civilians, before Colonel Maillard re-established order with the help of the departmental authorities.

The citadel, classified as a historical monument in 2012 (after partial protections since 1914), was transferred by the state to the city of Ajaccio in 2014-2015. Its present management aims at its reclamation, after centuries of military use, marked by French developments in the nineteenth century, such as the substitution of dry ditches to water ditches or the construction of the New Bastion in 1775.

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