Origin and history
The convent of Saint Francis of Oletta, also known as Conventu San Francescu, is a former Franciscan convent located in the plain of Oletta, Corsica, 2 km from the village. Founded before 1260, it was one of the oldest convents in Nebbio, ranked third in the island during the Narbonne chapter in 1260. The present building, rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries with re-use, replaced a medieval structure dating from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. It initially housed twenty-five cells for eighteen brothers, including three priests, and served as a teaching and preaching centre.
In the 15th century, local tensions were such that the priest celebrated the office with two pistols on the altar. The convent played a key role in the struggle for Corsican independence alongside Pascal Paoli: the monks organized consultations there in 1745, 1747, 1750 and 1753, and Paoli set up in 1758 a national printing house, the Stamperia della verita, to disseminate philosophical and historical texts. In 1768 the French troops occupied the site, made it their headquarters, and repressed an independant plot there in 1769, torturing five young patriots, including 23-year-old Don Petru Leccia, who was begged on the wheel.
In 1769, the religious returned briefly in 1854 before leaving the convent permanently in 1905, when the church and the state were separated. In the 20th century, the building fell into ruins after decades of abandonment, squatting and looting (1980-1990s). Purchased in 2001 by artist Candida Romero, it was restored without public funds and transformed into a private cultural place: artist residences, exhibitions, concerts and weddings. The chapel, classified as a historic monument in 1974, and the redesigned gardens (1 hectare) make it a unique heritage and artistic site.
The north wing, rebuilt in the 17th-18th century, now houses guest rooms and reception rooms, while the east wing, in ruins, preserves traces of vaults. The chapel, baroque style, has an imposing bell tower, nine side chapels and a crypt of Franciscan tombs. Its interior, looted in the 1980s, partially regained its cultural vocation. The site has received several awards (VMF Prize, Label Demeure Historique) and is animated by a cosmetics brand, Eaudecouvent, inspired by its gardens and its history.
The convent is also marked by tragic episodes, such as the Conspiracy of Oletta (1769), where five young men were tortured for their support of Paoli. Their memory is honoured by a commemorative plaque affixed above the side door. Maria Gentile, the bride of Don Petru Leccia, brava l ́banade française to offer her a Christian burial in the chapel, an act of resistance that moved to General de Vaux. These events illustrate the dual role of the convent: a place of faith and a home of political resistance.
Today, the Saint Francis convent combines heritage preservation and contemporary creation. The gardens, once a wasteland, have been transformed into thematic spaces (garden of monks, Renaissance garden) planted with Corsican and oriental essences. The site, a private property, has hosted artistic events since 2017 and continues its legacy through projects such as Eaudecuvent, whose perfumes and cosmetics inspire garden plants and historical stories related to the site.
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