Musée Pascal-Paoli
The birthplace of Pasquale Paoli in the Castagniccia, now a museum on the life of the Corsican “Father of the Fatherland”, with the funerary chapel that holds his ashes.
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About the museum
The Musée Pasquale Paoli, also known as the Merusaglia museum, occupies the Paoli family home, a house of rural notables. The square building, roofed with slate, has a vaulted ground floor, chestnut-wood floors and an openwork floor on the top story. It illustrates the traditional architecture of the Castagniccia villages. Pasquale Paoli was born here in 1725 and spent his childhood here, until he left for Naples in 1740, following his father Ghjacintu into exile.
Paoli, “General of the Corsican Nation, Father of the Fatherland”, founded one of the first modern democracies (1755–1769). He gave Corsica a constitution, an army, an administration, a justice system, a currency and a printing press, and founded a university in Corte. In 1889 Jean-Baptiste Franceschini-Pietri, a descendant of Paoli’s elder brother Clémente, handed the house to the Département de la Corse, on condition that Paoli’s ashes be placed in the oratory and the second floor turned into a museum. The museum opened in 1954 and received the Maison des Illustres label in 2012.
Four rooms evoke Paoli’s life with furniture, personal belongings and souvenirs. Among the most representative pieces are a marble bust by John Flaxman and portraits of artists he knew during his exile in London, including Henry Benbridge and Richard Cosway. The funerary chapel, fitted out at the end of the 19th century on the ground floor, holds his ashes as well as the tombstone of his London vault.
Highlights
- Birthplace of Pasquale Paoli, an example of traditional Castagniccia architecture
- Four rooms with furniture, personal belongings and souvenirs of Paoli
- Marble bust of Paoli by John Flaxman
- Portraits of artists from his London exile, including Henry Benbridge and Richard Cosway
- Funerary chapel with Paoli’s ashes and the tombstone of his London vault
Permanent exhibition
- Parcours permanent : la vie de Pasquale Paoli – Four rooms evoke Paoli’s life with furniture, personal objects and souvenirs. The funerary chapel on the ground floor holds his ashes.
- Founded
- 1954
- Operated by
- Collectivité de Corse (Direction du Patrimoine)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Over 65s, ages 10 to 25, students, groups of at least 10 people, families (at least 2 adults and 2 children). |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 9 · Free for children under 10; reduced rate from age 10 to 25. |
| Seniors | €3Reduced rate from age 65 (over 65). |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companions. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Reduced rate for students; free for students of history, art history and archaeology. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €3 per personReduced rate for groups of at least 10 people; free for school groups. |
| Families | €3Families of at least 2 adults and 2 children. |
| Tour operator rate | €2.50 |
Free admission: Free on the first two Sundays of December.
Free admission for: children under 10, job seekers, school groups, under-25s resident in Corsica, licensed guides and teachers, holders of the ICOM-ICOMOS card, heritage professionals, students of history, art history and archaeology, members of the Amis des Musées de Corse, people with disabilities and their companions, and staff of the Collectivité de Corse.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The museum is in the hamlet of Stretta in the Castagniccia, about fifteen kilometers from Ponte-Leccia.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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