Maison Bonaparte
Giuseppe Buonaparte moved into the Casa Buonaparte in 1682. The house stood on Rue Saint-Charles in Ajaccio, Corsica. Originally, different families shared the building's space. Giuseppe married Maria Colonna di Bozzi, who owned part of the property. He bought the remaining sections to unite the whole home. Carlo Bonaparte later expanded and re-decorated the structure after marrying Maria Letizia Ramolino. This expansion created a larger family estate for their growing household.
Napoleon Bonaparte entered the world inside this specific room on the 15th of August 1769. A plaque outside the house reads "NAPOLEON EST NE DANS CETTE MAISON LE XV AOVT M•DCC•LXIX". All children born to Carlo and Maria Letizia were delivered within these walls except Joseph. The birthroom remains a central feature of the museum today. Visitors can see the exact chamber where the future emperor first drew breath.
Pasquale Paoli led nationalist forces that turned against the Bonaparte family in the late 1700s. Followers of Paoli looted and burned much of the Casa Buonaparte during this conflict. British officers billeted themselves there after Admiral Samuel Hood arrived with his fleet. Legend claims Hudson Lowe stayed briefly at the property, though records do not confirm this truth. The family fled to mainland France following these violent events.
The Bonaparte family held continuous ownership from 1682 until 1923. After leaving Corsica again in 1799, they left the house to Napoleon's wet nurse Camilla Ilari. Napoleon later bequeathed the estate to André Ramolino, who traded his own home for it. First Maria then Joseph took possession before Zénaïde gave the property to Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie in 1852. Prince Victor Napoleon eventually donated the house to the French government.
Empress Eugénie refurbished and expanded the house to mark the 100th anniversary of Napoleon's birth. She prepared the estate for public viewing long before its official opening. The building became a national museum in 1967. Visitors today can explore rooms that have housed multiple generations of the same family. The museum preserves the history of Corsican life alongside the famous name attached to it.
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Common questions
When did Giuseppe Buonaparte move into the Casa Buonaparte?
Giuseppe Buonaparte moved into the Casa Buonaparte in 1682. The house stood on Rue Saint-Charles in Ajaccio, Corsica.
Where was Napoleon Bonaparte born inside the Maison Bonaparte?
Napoleon Bonaparte entered the world inside this specific room on the 15th of August 1769. A plaque outside the house reads NAPOLEON EST NE DANS CETTE MAISON LE XV AOVT M DCC LXIX.
Who led nationalist forces that turned against the Bonaparte family in the late 1700s?
Pasquale Paoli led nationalist forces that turned against the Bonaparte family in the late 1700s. Followers of Paoli looted and burned much of the Casa Buonaparte during this conflict.
Until what year did the Bonaparte family hold continuous ownership of the property?
The Bonaparte family held continuous ownership from 1682 until 1923. Prince Victor Napoleon eventually donated the house to the French government after Zénaïde gave the property to Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie in 1852.
When did the building become a national museum dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte?
The building became a national museum in 1967. Visitors today can explore rooms that have housed multiple generations of the same family.