The city of Bastia, in the island of Corsica, France

 "Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles that direct them." -- Napoleon Bonaparte

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(in France) The city of Bastia is found in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. The main port of the island and its commercial hub, Bastia is known for its wines. As France’s second busiest passenger port (after Calais), the city of Bastia offers a delightful welcome to Corsica. With the feel of a lived-in city, Bastia is close to the Italian mainland (73 miles [117 km] from Livorno), and across the Tyrrhenian Sea can be seen the island of Elba, flanked by Monte Cristo and Capraia. Originally a fishing village called Marina di Cardo, in 1383 it changed its name after a Genoese keep (or bastiglia), was built here. Bastia remained the capital of Corsica until 1791 and still is the military headquarters of the island. The Old Town (Terra Vecchia) is built around the central part of the harbor. The upper town (Terra Nuova) lies to the south, the modern town to the north and west. The Old Town is a network of alleys connected by dark, vaulted passages. The classical facades of the Church of San Giovanni Battista, law court, theater, and City Hall are well decorated.