Imperial chapel and Fesch Palace

Let’s talk a little about Cardinal Fesch. You’ve walked up his street, past his statue, the museum named after him and the imperial chapel we owe him. But who is this famous Cardinal? Born in Ajaccio, archbishop in Lyon and dead in Rome, it’s easy to imagine his career in the Church. Cardinal Fesch was Napoleon I’s uncle and a great art collector. Upon his death, Napoleon III decided to honor his great-uncle’s will by building an imperial chapel to house all the Bonaparte burials in a single location. The project was financed entirely by funds left by the Cardinal and completed by Napoleon III. It was the crown’s architect that was in charge in 1857. The chapel forms the south wing of the Fesch Palace, built 20 years earlier. The Latin inscription on its pediment reads: “To Marie-Letizia, mother of Emperor Napoleon I and to Cardinal Fesch who, during his lifetime, instituted for himself, for his excellent sister and for his family, this sepulchre, completed by Napoleon III”. Admission is included with the Fesch Palace ticket, or can be visited on its own for a reduced price. The dome is magnificent, adorned with trompe-l’œil paintings. The crypt houses the tombs of Cardinal Fesch, Charles and Laeticia, Napoleon Bonaparte’s parents, and other members of the imperial family. The Fesch Palace, in front of you, is home to the Beaux-Arts Museum. The works on display come mainly from the private collection left by the cardinal after his death. It represents the second-largest Italian collection in France after the Louvre! If you visit the museum, you’ll also see a large collection of Napoleonic paintings, including portraits of the imperial family, as well as a collection of Corsican paintings, drawings and engravings.