It is also the largest settlement on the island. Ajaccio is located on the west coast of the island of Corsica, nautical miles km southeast of Marseille. The original city went into decline in the Middle Ages , but began to prosper again after the Genoese built a citadel in , to the south of the earlier settlement.
After the Corsican Republic was declared in , the Genoese continued to hold several citadels, including Ajaccio, until the French took control of the island. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Ajacciens men or Ajacciennes women.
Other dedications to him in the city include Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport. Several hypotheses have been advanced as to the etymology of the name Ajaccio Aiacciu in Corsican , Addiazzo on old documents. Among these, the most prestigious suggests that the city was founded by the Greek legendary hero Ajax and named after him. Other more realistic explanations are, for example, that the name could be related to the Tuscan agghiacciu meaning "sheep pens".
The modern city not only encloses the entire harbour but takes up the better part of the Gulf of Ajaccio and in suburban form extends for some miles up the valley of the river Gravona. The flow from that river is nearly entirely consumed as the city's water supply. Many beaches and coves border its territory and the terrain is particularly rugged in the west where the highest point is m 2, ft. Although the commune of Ajaccio has a large area Therefore, the urban area of Ajaccio is located in the east of the commune on a narrow coastal strip forming a densely populated arc.
The rest of the territory is natural with habitation of little importance and spread thinly. Suburbanization occurs north and east of the main urban area. The original urban core, close to the old marshy plain of Cannes was abandoned in favour of the current city which was built near the Punta della Lechia. It has undergone various improvements, particularly under Napoleon, who originated the two current major structural arteries the Cours Napoleon oriented north—south and the Cours Grandval oriented east—west.
