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NOVELLA

A MOLT smoothly... Extract of KYRN MAGAZINE - 29 SEPTEMBER 1989

" One doesn't pass by at home, But it is may be better like that.... It permitted us to keep our soul.... The one that speaks thus, it is Paul Patriarche, regional Counselor and general Council of Belgodère. " At home", it is Novella, her village. A village of which it has been reelected mayor in last March.

It is true, Novella is not on any of the big road axes and it is also true, Novella doesn't belong in fact to any of surrounding regions. This is not the Giunssani, not again the true Balagne not more the basin of Ponte-Leccia... as for the nearest townships, Pietralba, Lama, Urtaca, it is " U Canale ", a small world to part...

One can arrive to Novella by the train. It stops there yet. But no life enlivens the train station that the last personnels left in the years 50. The big house of the station chief is in ruin, overgrown by ferns and the broken tiles and her gray wood shutters creak to the wind of the desolation. Alone, stay the « Novella » inscription in faded letters to the cracked pediment...
It is from the station, however, that one has a first idea of the village, down below, big pearl beige nest in the sumptuous case of a nature still intact. Novella is to the middle of the scrub, like an island to the middle of the sea... encircled of all parts.

Once, Novella was a populated village and active. Since the 17° century, abandoning the old hamlet of Cruscani, about fifty families had fixed to Novella, of others preferring to push lower, until Palasca.
With years, the population knew a constant flight, until to count, to the eve of World War I, close to four hundred thirty souls!

It was then the olive tree and raising reign. A long time, Novella made her fortune on the tree of money. One came from all around villages for the picking of olives. Then fire ravaged all and the decline began. Livestock, him, reached some considerable numbers. The Orabona’s or the Massiani’s, two of the biggest families of the place possessed until more than 200 heads each! The least herd, it was to the low word about twenty heads...
If one adds to these two main activities the grapevine and wheat (one counted here to one time more of a dozen of pairs of labour beefs!), one will have a pretty much complete picture of the Novella of once. Essentially agricultural, of course, but that counted for example, to the eve of the second world conflict, two teachers, two grocery stores and three pubs, a mill to oil and an enterprise of masonry!

Today, Novella, it is, the winter, a small hundred of inhabitants hardly: it is the Insee that says it, but maybe it is somewhat generous... whatever it is on the land, the reality of it, is more crueller.
The school closed her doors, the past year to the month of June, after an ultimate and useless reprieve : families left, that made fall the strength to zero or nearly. The schoolmistress exercises to Urtaca at the present time...

To the village, since soon ten years, it there not more of trades : the baker comes besides, the merchant of fruits and vegetables, the grocer also. One lives to the rhythm of their weekly passages.
Assets are very little numerous : the roadmender, the postwoman of the agency, the manager of the only and unique bar, two or three shepherds, whose cheese is sold and refined elsewhere...
Even pensioners are rare : without no other obvious reason that the airy sense of security that procures the city, they preferred the concrete of towers of Lupino or besides, but they always dream scents of their mountain...
" However, assure Paul Patriarche, we tried to give the comfort to those that remained: Novella disposes her own relay-television, and doesn't have any more problems of water or purification...."
" Otherwise, complete with strength Robert Grimaldi, the first deputy, us make all to keep people to the village. Youngsters, especially, because it is in them that reside the hope...."
« More hope... », think, him, Antoine Filippi, pensioner, who evokes with nostalgia the Novella of once.
More hope, it is maybe a judgment a little too hasty or desperate. It is sure that the situation is préoccupante. However, the township is vast (1200 hectares) and her budget has more increase in six years...
« But, admit Paul Patriarche, we don't have any coastal outlet... Difficult in these conditions to fight against depopulation.... »

It is sure, Novella, 100% highlander, doesn't have however not a finger of foot in the sea very faraway as the crow flies. The sea, it is the famous the Ostriconi beach and his sand, thinnest of Europe, made dream all tourist. Of centuries lasting, the place has been considered like few fréquentables, or even malevolent, by people of Novella. Today, some leer her side: " the development of Novella, as the one of the other townships of the corner, pass by the parcelling out of the Ostriconi... " affirms Jean-Louis Massiani, second deputy, who knows of what it returns. He takes care of the management of the domestic village-vacations of Lozari... that depends Palasca !
The parcelling out of the Ostriconi. The big words are let out. This is not to Novella only, one knows it, that the idea makes waves, but here, no one forgot the hold of very lucid position of Paul Patriarche. " I said yes to the protection, but no to the ordering... " recalls him.
Will the salute come from the coastline?

Now, the village disposes an asset recently no negligible: the new road that places to 15 minutes of Ponte Leccia and rejoins the big axis that goes toward the Balagne. A luck to seize, among others. Because it would not be necessary to believe that Novella is condemned forever. Reasons to hope exist and with them, projects. First, this village is not, fortunately, deserted completely by all. Young families, in important number, come back there very regularly off season : of course, this is often that for one weekend or for some days of vacations, but they maintain a semblance of life and the hope with. Of as much as they are all very attached to Novella : some restored the old domestic house, others preferred to get settled on the plot all new, as Henri that makes there build the house of its dreams, in full scrub, well that working to Bastia all week. " I would always come back to Novella, even if I had to recover myself of it ... " affirms him without forfanterie.

Otherwise, summer come, the Novella population quadruple nearly and the village, knows an unequalled animation, maintained by two associations : U Chjassu, composed of the outside Novellais and which prepares, the year lasting, manifestations of the summer, and the Committee of Feasts, whose reins have been taken by Rober Grimaldi, the first deputy, real man-orchestra,: games for children. parties, dances, spectacles increase...

The big projects, them, are to the daily. The principal seems to be the creation of a relay-equestrian. " The candidacy of Novella has been kept in the setting of the plane Bergelin, explain Paul Patriarche. About twenty boxings, who can to welcome as much people, a dining room, a fenil.... » Brief, who can to offer a beneficent halt to horsemen that would come to furrow this beautiful region. Of as much that in link with the Society of Hunt, the township opened and maintained 15 km of tracks. Real crossroads in the nature, Novella was the place dreamed for a similar realization, the alone in Corsica.

Other ideas already took body : in the local of the old school, one created a bar. It missed, since too numerous years, a daily similar meeting place. In June, one will attach him a pizzeria : it is often around a table that become knotted of links...

"Chjassis" of the village go, them, to have made again in stone of the country : a way like an another one to improve the setting of life.

A shopping center is in project, that would be, by her geographical situation, further turned toward Novella and villages of the Canale.

As for the tennis or to the ground of soccer that asks Christophe and Jean-Christophe, sixteen years all two, one day maybe?

Finally, in the cultural domain, the church that shelters a miraculous picture, (1) has been restored, and the Saint-Michel chapel (where is a curious crucifix : nails are replaced there by keys !) are going soon being.

One will have understood, like said someone, the situation is serious, but well far to be desperate. Of as much that all those that likes their village has their small idea on the best ways of her development.
" The only foreseeable activity, for me, it is raising... " esteem Jean Trojani, to counsel education to Calvi in week, but man of the earth as soon as he recovers her village. " But one is not able to anymore, alas, to exercise agriculture as once... " adds him.

" To part the tourism, what solution ? interrogates himself Manual Guerrero, pensioner and municipal counselor. Novella, it is the ideal rest place for the stressed townsman, but again it is necessary to be able to lodge it and to permit him to distract itself...."

One sees it, the future of Novella puts in spite of all good number of questions. Snuggled up to the bottom of her greenery conch, the village spreads, outside of trails beaten by a more and more invading tourism.
But who knows, does Novella prepare maybe in secret her next mutation ?

(1) in 1896, a picture, representing a Virgin to the child, who perspired, made Novella of very numerous pilgrims run.

Jean-Rafael CERVONI