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Key figures

Origin and history

The Chapel of the Greeks of Ajaccio, also known as the Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, is a suburban oratory erected at the edge of the road leading to the Sanguinary Islands, nicknamed the Way of the Tombeaux because of the numerous chapels that mark it. Built in the first half of the 17th century, it consists of a porch, a nave and an apse, later completed by four side chapels and outbuildings. Its modest architecture reflects its initial role as a peri-urban religious building, integrated into the funeral and spiritual landscape of Ajaccio.

From 1675 to 1774, the chapel was dedicated to the worship of the Greek colony originating in Maina (Peloponese), forced into exile via Genoa before settling in Ajaccio and Cargesis. This place became a symbol of their religious and cultural identity in Corsica. Napoléon Bonaparte, born in Ajaccio, regularly walked there, marking his attachment to this site full of history. In 1810, General Antoine Pascal, Count Fiorella — the hero of the Battle of Castiglione in 1796 — was buried there, strengthening his status as a memorial monument.

Classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 9 March 1927, the chapel now belongs to the municipality of Ajaccio. Its inscription protects an architectural and historical heritage, witness to Greek migrations in Corsica and local figures like Fiorella. The accuracy of its location, estimated at 7/10, confirms its anchoring in the Ajaccio landscape, between collective memory and Mediterranean heritage.

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