Les Milelli in Ajaccio
Near Ajaccio, on the rolling hills covered with olive trees that lie behind the city, the Bonapartes sought and found their home country, Les Milelli. The house has a square plan and is set out like a real farmstead. It was left to the Jesuits by Paul Emile Odone, brother of Carlo Maria Bonaparte, great-grandfather of the Emperor. When, in 1773, Louis XV expelled the Jesuits, Paul Emile Odone’s properties were claimed by Bonaparte, who regained ownership in 1785. The estate was then run by Cardinal Fesch who, in the end, donated it to the city of Ajaccio.
In 1793, Letizia, Elisa and Paolina Bonaparte, together with the future Cardinal Fesch, become advocates of French Corsica, taking refuge in Les Milelli to escape from the followers of Pasquale Paoli. Napoleon stayed there for the last time in 1799, after his return from Egypt.
The deed of purchase of the Milelli complex by Giuseppe Bonaparte is kept at the Maison Bonaparte in Ajaccio.
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