Ajaccio Cathedral

Ajaccio Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Ajaccio (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l'Assomption de Ajaccio), is a prominent Roman Catholic church situated in Ajaccio, Corsica. It holds the distinction of being the ecclesiastical seat for the Bishop of Ajaccio and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The cathedral's architecture is characterized by its Baroque and Mannerist influences, with a notable ocher façade that reflects the style of the Counter-Reformation.

History and Construction

The construction of the present cathedral took place between 1577 and 1593, under the direction of Italian architect Giacomo della Porta. This new structure was built to replace the former Cathedral of Saint-Croix, which was demolished in 1553 to facilitate urban defense improvements. The final stone was laid in 1593 by Giulio Giustiniani, who had been made bishop by Pope Sixtus V. The cathedral holds a special place in history as the site where Napoleon Bonaparte was baptized on July 21, 1771. His connection to the cathedral is further underscored by his deathbed wish to be buried there with his ancestors.

Architectural Significance and Interior Features

Ajaccio Cathedral's interior is designed in a Latin cross plan, with a modest transept covered by a dome. The central nave, while high and wide, is relatively short, featuring barrel vault arches reminiscent of the Renaissance. The building includes two aisles that extend from the entrance to the transept, divided by seven chapels situated between two rows of three columns.

Among its notable interior elements is the marble baptismal font, engraved with Giustiniani's coat of arms and bearing a gold inscription in Latin: "Heic baptisatus Magnus Imperator" (Here is baptised the Great Emperor). The altar, made of polychrome marble, was originally from the Church of the Suffragio in Lucca and was gifted to the cathedral by Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister, in 1809. The tabernacle, dating from the cathedral's construction period, is noted for its unusual style.

The cathedral features several prominent side chapels. The Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy (Chapelle de la Vierge de la Miséricorde), established in 1752, honors the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Ajaccio, and boasts a marble altar designed by Genoese sculptors. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary (Chapelle de Notre-Dame du Rosaire), from 1765, contains a stucco altar and representations of the Mysteries of the Rosary. The small 18th-century Chapel of the Madonna of Pianto (Chapelle de la Madonna de Pianto) houses murals by Domenico Tintoretto and Eugène Delacroix's "The Triumph of Religion."

Furthermore, Ajaccio Cathedral is equipped with a large pipe organ, originally built in 1849 by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and later restored and electrified. The cathedral was recognized for its historical and architectural importance when it was designated a monument historique, a national heritage site of France, on October 30, 1906.