This impressive mansion located in the hamlet of Paganacce, belonged to the De Morlas, a grand family of high society recognized by decree of the Higher Council of Corsica in 1772.
Today it has become a hotel, U Palazzu Serenu, where peacefulness, luxury and exquisite pleasure are present.
The Morlas’ family house is typical of the architecture of the 19th century Corsican high society. It draws its inspiration from the neoclassic style. Massive with a rectangular form, it is built on a terraced piece of property. The current impressive building is made up of a huge ancient house (from the XVIIth or XVIII th century) which was enlarged later. The complete restoration of the facades unified the wall surfaces so well that today it is impossible to distinguish which were from the ancient part and which were added on.
The façade that faces the entry gate, counts three floors on a high ground level preceded by a 14-step staircase. This façade extends in width for 5 rows of windows. A sober and elegant articulation surrounds the diverse openings, and underlines the levels as well as the roof’s base. The colored wall surface is emphasized by the diverse white cornices and moldings. On the right, crenellations sitting on top of a turret of a square design, give the whole building the appearance of a castle.
Next to Sant’Andria’s church, in the Santamaria neighborhood, you can see a house that seems to be part of the church. It represents a famous wedding, that of Charles Fredien de Vidau and Marie Claude Santamaria, on April 10, 1829. Since then it is referred to as the Vidau Residence.
Four years later, another wedding in the family created an additional connection with Oletta, that of Fredien Louis Felix de Vidau, alias Fredianino with Etiennette de Rivarola (1809-1852) alias Fanny. Today the Vidau Residence belongs to Anne Sogno Bezza who has been passionately restoring it for a few years.
In the “Guado in là” neighborhood, hidden behind high walls and an impressive tree, you can find the Cavallacce Castle. The family name Marinacce-Cavallacce is particularly associated with the history of this house called the “chateau”. Certain members of this family held important state positions and distinguished themselves throughout the world by representing the village of Oletta as its best ambassadors. The Marinacce-Cavallacce castle is part of a particular style called “country house architecture”.
The Marinacce-Cavallacce castle is developed on 4 levels. One level of half-buried cellars, allowing the ground floor, occupied by rooms for receptions and housekeeping, to be raised, a monumental entrance with a staircase and porch in front of the main entrance. The facades, contrasting and asymmetric, are pierced with numerous windows, wide for the main rooms and narrow for the service rooms. The form of the bay windows varies and the round arches compete with the lintels of the rectangular windows. The walls are enlivened by a light articulation (cornices, façade ornaments, strips and window sill moldings) accentuated by yellow walls. A wide painted frieze brightens up and underlines the roof’s pyramid-shaped base with red-tiled slopes. A balcony, set up on top of the entrance porch as well as a panoramic pyramid-shaped covered viewpoint allow you to enjoy the view of Oletta’s plain.
The members of this family had an important place in history, especially Charles Francois Alessandrini who organized the resistance in the cape and Luc-Octave Alessandrini who fought in several battles like Waterloo. The Piazza-Alessandrini family branch descended from the marriage between Major Luc-Otave’s daughter and François Marie Felix Piazza, on April 11, 1866 in Oletta.
The Piazza-Alessandrini palace is a large neoclassic building. Its impressive facades display strange asymmetries that can be explained by its history. Indeed, the core of the current palace is made up of two ancient houses, enlarged, reorganized and joined together. The outside facades were unified thanks to the talent of architect Adolphe Peretti (born in 1872). The facade facing the church square has a high foundation occupied by the cellars and making up a sort of podium on which the other resident floors rest. The large garden retaining walls harmoniously extend the building that majestically dominates the village square and center.
The designation “Ambassador’s House” is an emanation from the former land registry of the residence located in the hamlet of Cavallacce, which comes from the functions carried out by its former owner in the diplomatic community, Mr. Ambassador René Massigli.
On his wife’s side Odette, maiden name Boissier, they adapted to the location’s impediments to carry out significant renovations and obtain an architectural result that makes up this elegant vacation home where the white contrasts with the exotic blue shutters. It received numerous guests among whom were famous people such as d’Ormesson, the Pompidous, the Beaumonts etc.
Today some residents of Oletta still speak about how their house would set the clock to English Tea-time to receive the Ambassador and his friend Lord Peter Thorneycroft, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1957.