Musée de Bastia

The Musée de Bastia is housed in the Palais des Gouverneurs, the grandest building in Bastia's citadel and the former seat of Genoese power on the island. The palace dates primarily from the 15th and 16th centuries and occupies the highest point of the Terra Nova quarter, with a circular tower at its south corner that has become a symbol of the city.

The permanent collection covers Corsican history from prehistoric settlements through the Roman period, the medieval Pisan and Genoese occupations, the brief republic under Pasquale Paoli, and incorporation into France. The museum is particularly strong on the Genoese period, with maps, documents, and objects that illuminate the island's complex relationship with its former rulers. The upper rooms contain a collection of religious art from Corsican churches, including carved wooden altarpieces and ex-votos of surprising quality. The views from the terrace are the best in Bastia.

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The Musée de Bastia occupies the Palais des Gouverneurs, the former residence of the Genoese governors of Corsica — men who ruled the island with a harshness that made Genoese rule genuinely hated. The palace was built in the 15th century and expanded repeatedly over the following two centuries; at its peak it was considered one of the finest buildings in the western Mediterranean. The museum contains a striking collection of Corsican sacred art alongside the expected historical exhibits, including some genuinely accomplished baroque paintings that rarely appear in surveys of Italian art.

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