Musee Fesch (Fesch Museum), Ajaccio

The Fesch Museum is one of France’s top art museums, second only to the Louvre in Italian paintings. Founded by Cardinal Joseph Fesch (Napoleon’s uncle), it once held 17,000 works, including Giotto, Mantegna, Raphael, and Rembrandt. Though many were sold, 1,000 paintings were left to Ajaccio, forming today’s collection.

Designed in 1806, the museum’s building faced political delays and was completed in 1837, just before Fesch’s death. Built in a neoclassical style, it features a square courtyard and grand architecture. After serving various functions, it was restored in 1987 to fulfill Fesch’s vision of a public gallery.

The museum displays 350 paintings across four levels, arranged chronologically. Its highlights include Italian Primitives (Botticelli, Bellini), Roman Baroque (Poussin, Pozzo), and Neapolitan Baroque. Additional works feature Titian, Veronese, Nordic painting, Napoleonic art, and Corsican artists.

Visitors are invited to begin their journey on the second floor with the Italian Primitives, progressing through the galleries to Corsican works on the ground floor, offering a comprehensive exploration of European artistic heritage.