In Place Foch in Ajaccio, Corsica, France stands a statue of Napoleon dressed as first consul in a toga with a dove on his head. Ajaccio has been described as one large monument to Napoleon with a few houses around it and, indeed, it might seem so to a visitor on a guided tour. Even the Palais Fesch, built at the bequest of Cardinal Fesch (uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte) includes a Napoleonic collection. Still, in the courtyard of Palais Fesch, stands a statue of the Cardinal himself, not Napoleon. The Palais Fesch structure has served in the past as a military barracks, an institute of study for boys, a soup kitchen (during World War II), and a museum. The present use of the building as a museum specializing in Italian painting dates from the late 1980s.
Statue of Napoleon at Place Foch
SOURCE: Statue of Napoleon at Place Foch (Ajaccio, Corsica, France); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 August 2011.
Detail of Statue of Napoleon at Place Foch
SOURCE: Detail of Statue of Napoleon at Place Foch (Ajaccio, Corsica, France); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 August 2011.
Statue of Cardinal Fesch at Palais Fesch
SOURCE: Statue of Cardinal Fesch at Palais Fesch (Ajaccio, Corsica, France); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 August 2011.
Sign at Palais Fesch
SOURCE: Sign at Palais Fesch (Ajaccio, Corsica, France); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 August 2011.
Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko
