Austerlitz Square and Napoléon Cave

The Place d'Austerlitz and the Napoleon grotto, in Ajaccio

The Place d'Austerlitz, also called du Casone, pays homage to Napoleon with an imposing monument and a statue identical to that of the Invalides, dominating an inclined plane that tells his victories. The Ajaccio audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this high Napoleonic place and the grotto where, legend has it, the child Bonaparte liked to take refuge.

The monument to Napoleon and the grotto of the Casone

The arrival on the Place d'Austerlitz immediately sets the mood: here, everything is conceived to pay homage to Napoleon Bonaparte. A great inclined plane leads to the statue of the emperor, a copy of the one that crowns the dome of the Invalides in Paris, and the walls tell his great military victories. From the top of the monument, the gaze embraces a fine view over the surroundings and the mountains. The square is also called Place du Casone, in memory of an old building that rose there. But the place owes its fame above all to a legend: it is here, tradition says, in a modest grotto arranged among the rocks, that the young Napoleon liked to come to take refuge to read, meditate and dream, far from the bustle of the town. The story is charming, even if historians judge it unlikely, the child having hardly been able to cross the ramparts alone to reach this place then outside the walls. True or embellished, this Napoleon grotto is part of the Ajaccio novel of the emperor and adds to the charm of the site. Very close, on the Avenue Nicolas Pietri, is the start of the splendid ridge path, for those who want to rise above the town. An imperial monument and a legendary grotto, the Place d'Austerlitz is a fine stop of the discovery of Ajaccio.

What to see

Here you discover the imposing monument to Napoleon, with an inclined plane that tells his victories and a statue identical to that of the Invalides, from which you enjoy a fine view over the mountains; the square, also called du Casone, shelters the grotto where, according to legend, the young Bonaparte liked to take refuge, and nearby starts the ridge path. The Place d'Austerlitz is a high Napoleonic place of Ajaccio. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Place d'Austerlitz, called du Casone, lies in Ajaccio, away from the centre towards the heights, reachable on foot; the start of the ridge path is nearby, on the Avenue Nicolas Pietri. It is a public open-air square, freely accessible, embellished with benches. You discover it during a walk.

What is the Napoleon grotto of the Place d'Austerlitz in Ajaccio?

A modest grotto arranged among the rocks where, according to legend, the young Napoleon liked to take refuge to read and dream; historians judge the story unlikely, but it is part of the Ajaccio novel of the emperor. The square, also called du Casone, presents a monument to Napoleon with a statue identical to that of the Invalides.

Where is the Place d'Austerlitz in Ajaccio?

In Ajaccio, away from the centre towards the heights, near the start of the ridge path, in Corsica.