AJACCIO, CORSICA

Introduction: located in the Mediterranean south east of Nice, France.

Ajaccio (pronounced ah-yahk-cee-oh) , the largest town in Corsica, lies half-way down the west coast of the island in the Gulf of Ajaccio, surrounded by mountains which have a covering of snow right into summer. The town was founded by the Genoese in 1492, and is the capital of Corsica. Its harbor is second in size only to that of Bastia and it also has an airport. Its situation, beautiful beaches and mild climate (average winter temperature 13.3 C/56 F) attract large numbers of visitors.
Although it's an attractive idea that Ajax, hero of the Trojan War, once stopped here, the name of Ajaccio actually derives from the Roman Adjaccium (place of rest), a winter stop-off point for shepherds descending from the mountains to stock up on goods and sell their produce. This first settlement, to the north of the present town in the area called Castelvecchio, was destroyed by the Saracens in the tenth century, and modern Ajaccio grew up around the citadel that was founded in 1492. Napoléon gave the town international fame, but though the self-designated Cité Impériale is littered with statues and street names related to the Bonaparte family, you'll find the Napoleonic cult has a less dedicated following in his home town than you might imagine. The emperor is still considered by many Ajacciens as a self-serving Frenchman rather than as a Corsican, and his impact on the townscape of his birthplace isn't enormous.

Since the early 1980s, the town has gained an unwelcome reputation for nationalist violence. The most infamous terrorist atrocity of recent years was the murder, in February 1998, of the French government's most senior official on the island, Claude Erignac, who was gunned down as he left the opera. However, separatist violence rarely (if ever) affects tourists, and for visitors Ajaccio remains memorable for the things that have long made it attractive – its battered old town, relaxing cafés and the encompassing view of its glorious bay.

GEOGRAPHY

Besides the fact that Ajaccio, the capital of the French island of Corsica, is known for being the birthplace of Napoleon, it should be noted that it is also well known for its unusual topography; a rugged coastline and flawless beaches. It is a fragrant island, boasting a pristine environment, rich in flora, sheltered harbors, ancient villages, panoramic mountains and waterfalls cascading from their peaks, majestic granite mountains, an immense national park, forest, myrtle-scented scrubland, lakes, marshland, tropical palm trees, vineyards and yes even a desert!

Still, most people come to Corsica for the excellent beaches and near-perfect high-season temperatures, and never stir from their coastal villas. They rarely explore the ancient towns of Ajaccio or Bonifacio, or the rugged northern coastline, and worst of all, they often never venture inland, through the famous "maquis "(typical Corsican vegetation made of strongly fragrant plants, colorful flowers, and various species of trees) and up into the island's spectacular range of mountains.

HISTORY
Fought over by Greek, Roman, Vandal, Byzantine and Saracen, Corsica was sold by Genoa to France in 1768 - a fateful day for Europe, for a year later one Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio (his birthplace is now a museum). A bit of trivia for our US visitors: During World War II, the island was nicknamed "USS Corsica," as the United States military established 17 airfields on Corsica for American tactical bomber groups attacking targets in Italy. One of the pilots stationed there was Joseph Heller, who would use his wartime experience in the creation of his novel Catch-22.

CULTURE OF THE PEOPLE

It's not a large town by North American standards - Ajaccio has a population of
approximately 61,000 people.
French is the primary language of the island, however, English is widely used. Religion,
a huge part of the total populations are Roman Catholic with, the major area being Protestant, at the same time you will come across Jewish, Muslim, as well as unaffiliated minorities.
Social Conventions
Shaking hands as well as, additional informally, kissing both sides of the cheeks, are the standard forms of salutation. The structure of personal address is purely Monsieur otherwise Madame devoid of a surname. Mealtimes are repeatedly a lengthy, relaxed experience. Also they forbid smoking in various public places, which includes bars as well as restaurants.

WEATHER TIME CURRENCY

You'll find plenty of banks in town -- head left from the tender berth along the

Quai Napoleon, hang a right, and you'll find most of them one street inland

on the Rue Bonaparte

Business hours (Monday through Friday) are 8:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:35 to 4:45 p.m. (4 p.m. on Fridays); banks and museums are closed on Sundays, but most have ATM's outside, so you can get cash at any time.