Farinole
Presentation
Farinole: a village between land and sea
Its three hamlets, U Poghju, Bracculaccia and Sparagaghju, cling to the hillsides, offering breathtaking views of the coastline. Between «farina» and «ferrera», the name of the village reflects its history, both as agricultural land with memories of wheat fields, and the Ferrera magnetite mine, which has been in operation since the 15th century.e century. Its marina, with its Genoese tower dating back to 1562, and the ruins of the Marianda convent, completed in 1750, bear witness to a past in which Farinole held a strategic position within the territory.
A bit of history
A village suspended between history and nature
It was a fully-fledged parish in the 16th century, with 12 hamlets at that time (Stantelli, Marianda, San Damiano, Sparagaggio, Bracculaccia, Costa, Poggio, Selmaccie, Vagiola, Accia, Sovertina, Canneto). The hamlet of Marianda was destroyed by Barbary pirates at the end of the 16th century.
There were fishing activities, silk production sold as far away as Genoa, and excellent wine. According to oral tradition, this wine was served at the Pope's table. Indeed, the Franciscan monks (about twenty of them) cultivated the vines.
Mining activity began in the 16th century with several extraction sites. The mines (A Ferrera) were worked until the 19th century.
Farinole, memory of the earth and the sea breeze
The municipality also had significant agricultural activity. Olive trees, citron trees, fig trees and the charcoal trade are worth noting. From the Genoese period onwards, the people of Farinole cultivated land in Agriate (the territory of Saleccia). They accessed it by crossing the Gulf of Saint Florent. The sea route was also widely used for trade (cereals, etc.), particularly with Balagne. All these goods passed through the Farinole harbour.
The tower played an important role in keeping watch. Not far away was a shipyard (u scalu vechju) that was in full operation during the time of Pasquale Paoli. On 15 and 16 November 1793, the «Battle of Farinole» took place between Paoli's troops and the Republicans led by Lacombe-Saint-Michel. The Republicans quickly won the battle. The Marianda convent was destroyed, as were some of the hamlets, in retaliation. At the end of the 19th century, the commune was not spared the mass exodus of its population to the Americas. A few fortunes were made (notably by the Cesari family, etc.). On their return, these exiles, now wealthy, built houses and monumental funeral chapels, thus adding a new element to the commune's heritage.
(Sources: ISTRIA Daniel, Powers and Fortifications in Northern Corsica, 11th–14th Centuries; SILVANI Paul, Corsica in the Time of Paoli. Albiana; Farinole Town Hall.)
Farinole: landscapes, history and heritage
Funeral chapel and residence of the Cesari family - 19th century
The building, located on the road that leads from the hamlet of Bracculaccia to Marina di Farinole, is visible from afar.
The Cesari family was one of the most important in the village. They owned many houses and extensive land in the Agriate region (the Agriate lands were cultivated with wheat by the flour millers, who transported the harvests by boat to La Marine). The Cesari family also made their fortune in the Americas at the end of the 19th century. It was probably upon their return that they had the house and funeral chapel built.
Convent of the Franciscans of Saint Francis of Marianda - 1606
The building is located above the road connecting Patrimonio to Farinole. Only ruins remain, as part of the façade collapsed in February 2013.
The church has an elongated plan with a flat chevet and comprises a main nave and seven side chapels. This site was once home to the village of Marianda, which was burned down and destroyed by Barbary pirates at the end of the 16th century. Notarial deeds (ceppi) from 1611 mention donations from the inhabitants of Farinole, Patrimonio and Barbaggio for the construction of the convent.
The altar, tabernacle, holy water font (currently in the church of Patrimonio) and other pieces were constructed in 1709 by a master marble mason (Giovanni Faziglia) from a block of marble found at the port of Saint Florent.
The convent had up to 20 monks who cultivated vineyards and gardens. Local tradition has it that this wine was served at the Pope's table. The convent was partially destroyed during the Revolution and abandoned, its assets sold off and dispersed on 8 February 1792.
Parish Church of Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian - 1655 then 1891
The Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian is located on a ridge below the hamlet of Bracollacce. It has an elongated floor plan with a flat chevet and comprises a central nave and six side chapels. It contains a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary and penitents (or donors). The statue is dated 1490 and comes from a medieval church that stood on the same site or nearby.
Farinole apiary – 18th century
It appears to belong to a craft complex that also includes the mill (Mulino Sottano).
The building has an elongated layout. It is entered through a door topped by a wooden lintel. The elevations are pierced by multiple small openings topped by small slabs, which serve as take-off strips for the bees. The openings are the entrances to the apiaries. Inside, there are numerous cupboard-like niches that serve as apiaries.
Lime kiln at Marianda Convent - 1611
The lime kiln is located about a hundred metres past the convent, along the old path that has been turned into a track. It consists of a circular pit about 3 metres in diameter and 5 metres deep. The walls are built of schist rubble. It was used to bake limestone and thus obtain the lime used to make the mortar found in the walls of the Marianda convent. Limestone was present in the commune.
Ciucciaja flour mill - 19th century
The elongated building is no longer covered and is overgrown with vegetation. There are two windows and a door topped with a wooden lintel and a relieving arch. To the right of the building is a narrow, very high corridor (approximately 6 m) which contained the mill's vertical wheel. At the far end, at the top, is the water inlet. In front of the mill are a few scattered cast iron parts from the machinery. Inside the main room, you can see the opening for the vertical wheel's axle.
Flour mill known as Mulino Sottano - 18th century
The building is located on the banks of the Ghiando stream, about 500 metres from the village.
There are two limestone millstones. Then there is the room that housed the horizontal wheel. It is covered by a semi-circular vault that opens onto the façade. At the back of the room, you can see the water inlets, and there is also a hole for the axle in the vault. There is an apiary above the building. It was operated in 1875 by Laurent Massimi. It is described as follows: «It is fed by almost no water during the summer, providing 50 to 60 litres per second during the other months. 5-metre drop. A pair of millstones set in motion by a wheel shaft. Powered by 3 to 4 horsepower. Factory cage measuring 20 m². Building valued at 600 francs, engine and watercourse at 800 francs, tools and millstones at 500 francs. In 1887, it was out of operation. (AD de Corse-du-Sud, series 6M)».
Agricultural sheds known as pagliaghju Poggi and Pancrazi Farinole families - 19th century
Both are accessed via doors topped with wooden lintels and slate slabs. They were used as agricultural sheds, stables and haylofts. The interior is remarkably well preserved. A beamed floor separates the levels. A rectangular hole in the floor was used to pass hay down to the lower level. The stable on the lower level still has its original fittings (wooden mangers, etc.). Just below the vaulted ceiling, a small floor serves as a drying room. The two door frames are interesting, one of which has a beautiful lock. The vaulted ceiling has been coated with cement.
Farinole Tower – Listed Historic Monument – 1562
Built in 1562 using tax revenue, this Genoese tower, now owned by the municipality, was used to warn residents of danger. Fires were lit there to sound the alarm. It can be seen from the towers of Mortella, Negro and Ogliastro.
It was in service until the end of the 18th century and had two soldiers and a tower commander. It is a circular tower built of limestone and is of classic design: three levels (blind base, floor with a door and windows, terrace crowned with machicolations). The breach on the west side is the result of an attempt to break through the base. On the sea side, the machicolations have collapsed. At the foot of the tower are the «Magazini», which were used as storage areas for goods (cereals, animals, etc.) that the inhabitants transported from the Nebbiu/Agriate plain by boat (from the Gulf of St Florent to Marine de Farinole).
Next to the tower that also defended it, a shipyard called «U Scalu Vecchju» enabled the construction of a half-galley between January and March 1762, and at the end of that year, the felucca «Il Terrore», a ship belonging to the Pauline fleet.
Andreani Christian; Machline Sarah, “entrepôts dits magazini” (warehouses known as magazini), Cultural Media Library of Corsica and Corsicans
IN FERRERA (magnetite mine) - 15th and 17th centuries
A Ferrera (magnetite mine) is located in the territory of Farinola and was mined alongside the Olmeta di Capi Corsu mine from the 15th to the 17th century. The high-quality ore was used in the forges of Vescovato, Negro and Rutali, but the very high cost of mining and competition from iron from the Island of Elba led to a decline in interest in this mine over the centuries.
The Genoese tunnel was dug using fire and then black powder (1623). The tunnel walls are so smooth and compact that one might think they had just been washed. The floor is so clean that we can be sure that not a single stone has fallen on it for centuries. From 8 June to 5 December 1626, Romano FARINOLE's expense book tells us that the mine produced 1,060 quintals of iron. The FERRERA site was reopened in the 19th century (1849 to 1862) and then abandoned, despite a few unsuccessful attempts to reopen it between 1926 and 1929.
On 27 June 1849, the mine was granted to Mr Regnacq on 1,075 hectares. In 1853, 300 to 400 tonnes were extracted from the mine. It can be accessed via a path leading from the Fontaine Vieille in BRACCULACCIA. Some remains of rails, a hand winch and a powder magazine can still be seen. This spectacular structure in a magnificent landscape is of great heritage, geological, archaeological and educational interest.
Educational experiments with magnets and compasses are very instructive for young children. The municipality of RIO NELL’ELBA (ELBA ISLAND) contacted Farinole Town Hall to establish a twinning arrangement based on their shared mining history.
