Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Pascal Paoli's home museum is housed in a traditional 18th-century residence in the hamlet of Stretta in Morosaglia (Haute-Corse). This place, ceded in 1888 to the department of Corsica by Jean-Baptiste Franceschini-Pietri – descendant of Paoli's sister – became a museum in 1954 after planning work. The ash of the general, repatriated from London in 1889, is preserved in a dedicated oratory.

The museum was created by Jean Leblanc, curator of the Fesch d'Ajaccio Museum, and the building was inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1975. Between 1986 and 1991, the department of Haute-Corse carried out a complete restoration to preserve this heritage. In 2012, the place obtained the label Maison des Illustres, then was integrated in 2018 in the Directorate of Heritage of the Community of Corsica.

The collections, initially limited due to the dispersion of Paoli's assets (sequestered in 1769 and 1796), were enriched by targeted acquisitions. Today there are emblematic objects such as the sword offered by Frédéric II of Prussia, a saddle of the Bey of Tunis, or portraits painted by Henry Benbridge. These pieces illustrate the political and symbolic legacy of Paoli, a major figure of Corsican independence.

The funeral chapel, on the ground floor, houses not only the ashes of Paoli, but also its original tombstone, transferred from the London cemetery of Saint-Pancrace. The museum highlights its role in Corsican identity building, while preserving the typical architecture of an 18th-century house, with its stone walls and lauze roof.

Since 2021, the museum continues to acquire significant works, such as a miniature on porcelain by Sophie Liénard, in order to complete the collections dedicated to this padre di a patria (father of the homeland), still venerated in Corsica. The label Musée de France and its management by the Community of Corsica guarantee the sustainability of this place.

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