Chapelle imperiale (Imperial Chapel), Ajaccio

The Imperial Chapel, also known as the Palatine Chapel, is a historic monument forming the right wing of the Fesch Palace. Built from Saint-Florent stone, it was financed by funds bequeathed by Cardinal Fesch and Napoleon III.

The chapel was blessed on September 9, 1860, and serves as the sanctuary of the Bonaparte family, housing a crypt where several family members are buried, including Napoleon’s parents and Cardinal Fesch. It was classified as a Historic Monument in 1924 and remains one of Ajaccio’s most significant Napoleonic sites.

Commissioned in 1859 by Napoleon III, the chapel was designed in neo-Renaissance style with a Latin cross layout. It was built based on plans by Alexis Paccard, architect of the crown, and constructed by Jean Caseneuve, first inspector of the Palace of Fontainebleau. It adjoins the Palais Fesch, constructed two decades earlier, forming its southern wing.

The crypt, now at full capacity, holds numerous Bonaparte family members, including Letizia Bonaparte (Napoleon I’s mother), Cardinal Joseph Fesch, and Charles Bonaparte (Napoleon’s father), who was transferred here in 1951.