Oletta
Presentation
Oletta, village of stone and light
The built heritage reflects a rich past, through its stately homes and the magnificent ruins of the San Francescu convent. The village of Oletta is set in a landscape of olive groves, chestnut trees and vineyards. Its charm has always attracted many notable families, whose opulent houses bear witness to the prestigious image conferred on Oletta. Built in an amphitheatre shape, the historic village overlooks the Oletta plain, on the outskirts of the Grand Site, which has seen the development of new hamlets, accompanied by services and facilities.
A bit of history
Oletta: from ancient cradle to memory of a revolt
From ancient origins to medieval prosperity
According to Ptolemy, there was already human activity in Oletta in ancient times.
In the Middle Ages, Oletta was located at the centre of a parish and prospered thanks to its proximity to silver mines.
The present parish church Sant'Andria was built on the site of the former Romanesque parish church, some elements of which have been preserved on its façade.
Oletta through the centuries: from revolt to rebirth
A populated and vibrant territory in modern times
During the Modern Era, in the 16th century, around 1520, the parish of Oletta had approximately 1,000 inhabitants. The inhabited areas at that time were named: Oletta, Le Romanacce, A Leccia, U Salicetu, U Cermolacce, Boccheciampe, U Muntaghjò, E Paganacce, U Monticellu, Olivacce, U Poghju, Costa, Gregogna, Casalicu, Brietta.
The Great Corsican Revolt (1729–1769)
Oletta then played an important role in the Great Corsican Revolt (1729–1769).
In the 18th century, during the period between 1729 and 1769, which saw troops from several countries (Germany, Austria, England, Spain, Genoa, Sardinia) intervene in Corsica, Oletta was the scene of political and military events. Many of its inhabitants took an active part in the conflict between the Corsicans and the Genoese. From the very beginning, alongside many other communities on the island, they took up arms against the occupiers.
The Stamperia della Verità: an intellectual hotspot
In 1755, the Casabianca council entrusted the generalship to Pascal Paoli.
In 1758, he created, at the San Francescu Convent, the Printing House of Truth, where philosophical, theological and political texts are printed, including The Justification of the Corsican Revolution of the abbot Don Gregorio Salvini, as well as the official gazette from 1764 onwards.
The Oletta Conspiracy (1769)
In 1768, with the cession of Corsica by the Genoese, the island came under French administration.
Paoli appeals to Father Saliceti, said Peverinu, originally from Oletta, to organise an uprising aimed at containing French troops in Saint-Florent.
The plot, prepared with the complicity of village notables (Bernardu Leccia, D. Cermolacce, the Guidoni brothers), was to take place on the night of 13 to 14 February 1769.
But betrayed, the conspirators were arrested, tortured and sentenced to death.
Maria Gentile, the ’Corsican Antigone«
Refusing to accept the humiliation inflicted on the tortured, Maria Gentile, a young woman from Oletta, removed her fiancé's body at night. Don-Petru Leccia to give him a Christian burial in Saint Francis Church.
Upon discovery, she devoted herself to Count of Vaux, commander of the French troops, who, admiring her courage, decided to pardon her.
This significant episode forever engraved Oletta in the memory of the Corsican resistance.
The French offensive and the end of a cycle
The French troops set up their headquarters at Saint Francis Convent, from where the decisive offensive against Paoli's troops was launched, resulting in the Battle of Ponte Novu 8 May 1769.
Agricultural and industrial restructuring in the 19th century
During the 19th century, specifically in 1871, François Piazza, mayor of the commune of Oletta and general councillor for the canton, joined forces with Mr Meynard, a silkworm farmer from Vaucluse, to create a silkworm farm and a cellular grain centre in the locality of Campellu, in accordance with the guidelines of Jean Louis Armand de Quatrefages de Bréau and Louis Pasteur.
Incubation takes place at the silkworm farm, and once hatched, the larvae are distributed among families who have premises that can provide the worms with the constant, dry temperature essential for their development from May onwards.
In 1900, there were 84 domestic farms in the village, producing nearly 3,000 kilos of cocoons.
The Oletta seed centre was thus able to supply France, Italy and Syria with a large quantity of carefully selected seeds.
(Sources: ISTRIA Daniel, Powers and Fortifications in Northern Corsica, 11th–14th Centuries; SILVANI Paul, Corsica in the Time of Paoli. Albiana; Oletta Town Hall.)
An exceptional rural and religious heritage
Church of Sant’Andria
The construction of the Church of San Andria, as we know it today, began in 1777. It reused green stones from the demolition of the old Romanesque building.
The main façade opens with a door framed by two concave niches, set between two buttresses. Above the door, integrated into the masonry, is a semi-circular tympanum decorated with a bas-relief sculpture from Italy. This first level is topped by a triangular pediment crowned with two bell towers.
The interior of the church comprises a single nave flanked by side chapels. The whole is decorated in Baroque style: the ceiling and choir are adorned with frescoes. On the ceiling fresco, at the level of the dome, we can see the four evangelists: Matthew, represented with an angel; Mark, symbolised by a lion; Luke, by a bull; and John, in the form of an eagle.
The church in Oletta is dedicated to Saint Andrew, as evidenced by the triptych painted on wooden panels displayed in one of the side chapels. It depicts the Virgin and Child surrounded by Saint Andrew and Saint Reparata. This work, painted by an Italian master in the first quarter of the 16th century, bears witness to the artistic influence of the peninsula on Corsica at that time.
Two other paintings, of great historical and symbolic importance for the village of Oletta, are also kept in the church:
- On the left as you enter the church: Saint Cecilia playing the organ, an 18th-century oil painting. Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians, is depicted in front of an organ, accompanied by a water jug and a book of sheet music placed on a small table covered with a red rug. In the upper right-hand corner, two cherubs appear in the clouds. This work is listed in the inventory of Historic Monuments as furniture.
- On the right as you enter the church: The Virgin Mary. This painting once hung in the home of the notable witness to the miracle of Our Lady of Mercy of Oletta, which took place in the hamlet of Romanacce, located on the heights of the village. This painting has great significance for the inhabitants of the village. Tradition has it that on Good Friday, 15th April 1734, the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared in a small two-room house. Michele Giovan Bartolo, a pious man, and his wife Maria lived there. Maria spent long hours in prayer before the image of the Mother of Mercy, painted on a whitewashed wall. While she was cooking, Maria heard an insistent voice alerting her. In the next room, her child was sleeping in his cradle, close to the hearth where the fire was burning. Seized with fear, the young mother rushed over: a log had rolled over, setting the cradle on fire. Falling to her knees before the image of the Virgin, Maria saw her shedding copious tears. Standing on tiptoe, she placed a trembling finger on the icon's wet chin: her fingerprint remained there and is still visible today. The Virgin is said to have wept for two months.
Former Saint François Convent and its chapel – Listed Historic Monument – 1390
Comprising twenty-five cells, it housed 18 brothers, including 3 priests and a few clerics. During the struggle for the island's independence, the brothers travelled around the countryside on horseback to rally the crowds to the national cause.
In 1768, the French landed at Saint-Florent and seized Oletta. In 1769, they established their headquarters in the convent. From there, they launched their offensive against Paoli's troops, which came to an end on 8 May 1769 at Ponte-Novu.
- Unusual: Chronicles recount that as early as the 15th century, the priest celebrated mass with two pistols on the altar to keep the faithful in check.
- Did you know: The chapel, whose construction dates back to the late 12th and early 13th centuries, is protected and listed in the Register of Historic Monuments by order of 29 November 1974.
- To locate the place: approximately 2 km from the village of Oletta, on the D82 road towards Saint-Florent.
The observation post known as Fort de Montemagni – Middle Ages – 11th or 12th century
Located on a small hill, Castello Montemagni occupies a strategic position. It overlooks the Gulf of Saint Florent, the Bigorno Pass, the Sant'Antonio Pass and the entire Nebbiu and Conca d'Oru regions. Only the ruins of the medieval site remain, but you can still see the large retaining walls that may have formed an enclosure. The walls are made of cipolin rubble masonry with mortar that has withstood the test of time. At the top of the elevation, you can see the bases of a square tower, approximately 5 metres wide.
This fortified building was part of a series of fortified structures occupied in particular by the Cortinchi lords in the 13th century. It can be compared to the Tozza tower in Patrimonio.
The Chapel of the Confraternity of the Holy Cross, known as Santa Croce - Museum of Sacred Art in Oletta, 1730
Chapel with an elongated floor plan and flat chevet, consisting of a single nave. This brotherhood already existed in 1607.
The Rivarola family funeral chapel – 19th century
It belonged to the Rivarola family, a family of notables originally from Genoa. This family rallied to Pascal Paoli, notably Antoine Rivarola and his sister La Monaca, who was also the Mother Superior of the Ursuline convent in Bastia. They were both important informants and played a notable political role.
The notable residence of the Morlas family, known as the U Palazzu Serenu hotel – 17th century
Listed in the Napoleonic land registry drawn up in 1846, this house is believed to date back to the 17th century, but it was completely renovated in the 19th century. It belonged to the De Morlas family, a prominent family in Bastia. It has now been converted into a hotel. (Petit journal d'Oletta)
The notable house known as Palazzu Piazza-Alessandrini - first half of the 19th century
The house appears in the Napoleonic land registry and may date back to the first half of the 19th century. The façade was unified by architect Adolphe Peretti (architect for the city of Bastia) in the early 20th century. The Piazza-Alessandrini family distinguished itself in the military and in public administration. François Marie Piazza introduced the silkworm industry to Oletta at the end of the 19th century. (Petit journal d'Oletta). Deliveries were made to several countries.
The house of the notable figure behind the miracle of Our Lady of Mercy in Oletta – 17th–18th century
On 15 April 1734, the miracle of Oletta took place in this house. A 15th-century Italian painting depicting the Virgin Mary (currently in Saint Andrew's Church) is said to have warned the resident that her son was burning, then wept to relieve the child's suffering.
