Grand Hotel Continental, Ajaccio

The Grand Hotel Continental was built between 1894 and 1896 by architect Barthelemy Maglioli. It was a key part of Ajaccio’s transformation into a prestigious winter resort, attracting European aristocrats who sought the city's mild climate for its supposed healing properties.

The hotel, developed during the Second Empire, was commissioned by Count Francois-Xavier Forcioli-Conti and managed by Swiss hotelier Theophile Hofer. Designed to meet the luxury standards of European hospitality, it featured 100 lavish rooms, a grand dining hall, and a vestibule adorned with trompe-l'œil colonnades.

Set within 12,000 square meters of lush gardens, the Grand Hotel Continental stood as a symbol of elegance. Writer Victorien du Saussay described it as "the modern palace of the city", offering breathtaking sea views, framed by towering palm trees and diverse exotic flora.

However, the hotel's golden age was interrupted by World War I, when it was converted into a convalescent center for wounded soldiers. It later served as a refuge for political exiles and was occupied by Italian forces during World War II until Ajaccio’s liberation in 1943.

By the 1970s, the hotel closed and was briefly used as a CRS barracks before being acquired by the Collectivite de Corse in 1988. Since 1992, it has served as the seat of the Corsican Assembly and Executive Council. The historic gardens, originally designed by landscape architect Charles Peyrouse, have retained their original layout and exotic plant species, reflecting the influence of the Raccat family, the hotel's last private owners.