Ajaccio — Sampiero's Secret Traitor

Your quest begins in front of the Citadel of Ajaccio, a Historic Monument built between 1492 and 1510 by the Genoese under the direction of Giovanni Girolamo Da Ori. This bastioned fortification, with its 10-meter high ramparts and 1 km perimeter, was the seat of the Genoese garrison during Sampiero Corso's campaigns for the liberation of Corsica in 1553-1554. It is here that the first clues about Giacomo Pardi's intentions are hidden, immediately plunging you into the 16th-century struggles that shaped the history of this Corsican city.

Continue towards Port Tino Rossi, a historic commercial port developed in the 16th century and named after the Corsican resistance fighter Tino Rossi. This 800-meter long quay was a strategic point for Sampiero Corso, who landed there in 1554 with his troops to besiege Ajaccio from the Genoese. The remains of 16th-century Genoese quays, integrated into the modern port, remind you of the maritime stakes of that era. Your investigation reveals that crucial information about the movements of the Genoese fleet and Pardi's role passed through this vital location.

Palais Lantivy, a neoclassical private mansion built in 1810 by the architect Antoine Levi, is your next stop. Although built after Sampiero Corso's time, this Historic Monument, classified in 1990, was occupied by French forces in 1793 during the conquest of Corsica, and bears witness to the political intrigues that followed Sampiero's era. It represents a continuity in the struggle for control of the island, where alliances and betrayals succeeded one another, allowing you to better understand the unstable context in which Pardi operated.

Then take Rue Bonaparte, an 18th-century paved street lined with 17th-18th century Genoese houses. This street, named in honor of the Bonaparte family, with Napoleon I born at number 18 on August 15, 1769, was a passage for anti-Genoese conspiracies in the 16th century. It was in this maze that Sampiero Corso and his followers planned their actions. Your progression leads you to the Church of Saint-Érasme, built in 1608 in the Genoese Baroque style and dedicated to the patron saint of sailors. Witness to the sieges of Ajaccio in 1554, it served as a rallying point, and its 17th-century paintings, classified as Historic Monuments in 1975, may hide messages for you.

Your journey finally leads you to Place du Général de Gaulle, created in the 19th century on the former Genoese bastion, and then to Place Foch, laid out in 1837 and surrounded by palm trees planted in 1850. These locations, the heart of Ajaccio's historic district, were sites of fortifications and popular gathering points during the anti-Genoese revolts led by Sampiero Corso. By unmasking Giacomo Pardi's secret, you will have traversed over five centuries of history, from the 16th-century Genoese Heritage to the monuments of Napoleon's birthplace. This family visit to Ajaccio offers a concrete immersion into South Corsica, revealing the layers of the past of this land of character.