Panorama from Miot Square

We come back to our view of the sea at the highly popular Miot square. This great overhang on the Mediterranean sea is an ideal place to try your hand at panoramic photography and, why not, pétanque tournaments! Petanque, as in all the south of France, is a truly national sport in Ajaccio, and the Place Miot is its favorite playground! The new Henri Matisse Promenade also starts here, joining Trottel Beach and Miot Square. It’s worth noting that the painter spent time not far from here in 1898, and that the special light that bathes the coral city deeply inspired him. He said: “It was in Ajaccio that I first discovered the wonders of the South, which I didn’t yet know”. He spent 5 months in the Villa de la Rocca, commonly known today as the Villa Matisse, with his wife Amélia, on their honeymoon. Totally captivated by the colors of the South, his work, previously influenced by Impressionism, took a completely different turn, his drawings became simpler, and thus appeared the first steps towards what is known as Fauvism, with its pure, vivid colors designed to arouse emotion. The town of Ajaccio pays tribute to this heritage with a beautiful promenade overlooking the deep blue color of the Mediterranean Sea.