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Museum · Ajaccio, Córsega
Maison Bonaparte
House where Napoleon was born in 1769, transformed into a national museum about the Bonaparte family and 18th‑century Córsega.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Maison Bonaparte
Maison Bonaparte is the house where Napoleon Bonaparte was born on 15 August 1769, in the historic center of Ajaccio. The property was the former Casa Bozzi and gradually passed to the Bonaparte family from 1682 through marriages and inheritances. Carlo Bonaparte and Letizia Ramolino moved in there in 1764, and almost all of the couple's children were born in the house.
The family left the island in 1793, and the house was looted. Letizia returned in 1796, renovated and expanded the property and left for good in 1799. Napoleon spent a few days there on his return from Egito in 1799, and never returned to Córsega. Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie commissioned work on the house, which was donated to the State in 1923 and became a national museum in 1967.
The visit takes you through the floors of the house, with furniture, portraits and family objects. There is a bust of Letizia, the Madame Mère, made by Canova, and a family tree made of hair. The museum presents both life in Córsega in the 18th century and the trajectory of the emperor.
In front of the façade, a small tree‑lined square has a bronze bust of the Rei de Roma, Napoleon's son. On the façade, a marble plaque marks the birth.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About an hour.
Best time
Right at opening, because queues tend to form quickly in summer. Outside July and August there is less demand. Check the opening days before you go, as they change with the season.
How to get there
It is on rue Saint-Charles, in the historic center, a few minutes' walk from Place Foch, porto and the cathedral.
Tip
Combine it with the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, where Napoleon was baptized, a few blocks away, and with the Palais Fesch to complete the Napoleonic route in the same day.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Maison Bonaparte
Are the furnishings of the Maison Bonaparte from Napoleon's time?
Part of the collection belonged to the family, but the house was looted in 1793 and renovated several times, including by Letizia and by Napoleon III. The visit shows the house as it was arranged over that period.
How long does the visit to the Maison Bonaparte take?
About an hour to go through the floors at a relaxed pace.
Were all of Napoleon's siblings born in that house?
Almost all. Napoleon, Lucien, Louis, Jérôme, Elisa, Pauline and Caroline were born there; the eldest brother, Joseph, was born in Corte.