CARRUGHJU JEAN MATTEI (15/12/1905, Oletta – 17/03/1984 Marseille)   

Jean Mattei was the mayor of Oletta from 1945 to 1984.  He sat at the General Council of Corsica from 1964 to 1976 and presided over the Departmental Office of low-income housing in the 70’s.  For many years he was the regional delegate for the Gaullist movement.  When General de Gaulle took power in May 1958, with Henri Maillot, Ambroise Fieschi, Antoine Sera and a few others Jean Mattei was one of the creators of seizing the prefecture.  He then sat on the public safety committee.                     

As mayor Jean Mattei did a lot for the village of Oletta. We are especially indebted to him for building the school group, the village’s purification network, the stadium, construction of low-income housing, construction of the first part of city hall inaugurated by Jacques Chirac.

Legion of Honor officer, departmental honor medal, communal silver-gilt medal, Croix de guerre volunteer for the Resistance.    

STRETTA A MONACA 

(around 1720-?)

Cristina Rivarola, sister Maria Domenica, daughter of Domenico Rivarola (1687 – 1748) and Diana Frediani (1682 - ?), she was Colonel Francesco Rivarola’s sister, but above all, Antonio Rivarola’s sister (1719 – 1795), one of Paoli’s main informants. A nun in the convent of Ursulines in Bastia, Cristina Rivarola carried out the functions of Mother Superior under the name of Mother Maria Domenica.  Her existence took place between the family home located rue du Lycee (currently rue Carbuccia), the convent of the Ursulines and Oletta where The Monaca had regular stays in the house belonging to her family.

During the time of The Monaca, the Ursulines convent’s garden in Bastia communicated with that of the Rivarola’s house, which was a strategic place in the nun’s life.  In fact, when Paoli resided in Bastia, he stayed at the Barbaggi-Rivaroli’s house and could therefore discreetly visit the nun, who was his friend and informant.  Her interventions were considered relevant to the internal and external political strategy, to the extent that history would like to keep her image as a true “secret agent”.