Since Sta-Maria's collar until the Ostriconi beach to the Agriates, the Ostriconi valley stretches between the Balagne and the Nebbio. Organized in distinct geographical entities, five villages regroup the human implantation : Lama, Pietralba, Urtaca, Novella and Palasca.

If the whole of this micro-region doesn't count more than 600 permanent inhabitants currently, it was a long time the main attic to oil of the North Corsica. Following the Genoese regimentation imposing the plantation, every year, of one of the 5 noble kinds of trees (chestnut, bramble, fig-tree, grapevine and olive tree), olive trees covered the background of the valley until to go up again to mi-versants.

In the beginning of the century, the region of Lama counted about 80 000 feet producing 100 000 liters of oil. The architecture carries the print of this monoculture again and one can discover comfortably during walks the hydraulic mills (e fabrice, in Corsican) the long of the Ostriconi river and those, more numerous, with animal traction (i franghj, in Corsican).

After the demographic bleedings of the two world wars that started the Corsican village decline, the blow of grace came in August 1971 of a vast fire that scorched the Ostriconi and a part of the Balagne. In one afternoon the whole of olive tree was reduced in cinders.

The ovine raising maintained a big part of its activity however.
The divide of a number important farming resting places permitted the equestrian hike centers development.

Most villages dominating the Ostriconi river are accessible by the perpendicular ways to the N 1197 (so-called the Balanina) or by the two parallel roads to the valley that join villages to flank of small hills.