It was the seat of Genoese power in Corsica from the 15th century until the French conquest in 1768.
Overlooking the cove of the Old Port from its hanging gardens, this castle was the permanent residence of the governors who had direct links with Genoa. Long considered a «city within a city», this imposing edifice, which at one time became a military barracks, was renovated after the bombardments of the Second World War. Since the early 20th century, it has housed the Musée de Bastia, formerly dedicated to Corsican ethnology.