Murato

Murato is a common French, located in the department of the Haute-Corse and the Corsica area .

Geography

Altitude: 504 m with the incrucciata

Many inhabitants: in winter: 565 in summer: 1.000

Surface of the Commune: 2.038 ha

History

The Convent of MURATO - Pascal PAOLI, the striking of the Corsican currency, (1600-1769) Year 1600: Aretta is depopulated and Murato Supranu and Suttanu develop. For reasons of convenience St Jean the Evangelist becomes Co-parochial with St Michel, considered to be from now on too distant of large of the population, more especially as a new district will be born around the new general assembly of Freemasons built by monks RECOLLETS in 1615. The conventual church dedicated to St Michel and the Annunciation (NUNZIATA has) will be born the next century.

The convent will have a life animated during the revolutions of Corsica.

In 1754, the higher father of convent FRA Giovanni receives a signed ticket of Giuseppe DORIA, the very new governor génois of Bastia which thanks it for its devotion to the génoise cause.

In 1755, Pascal PAOLI unloads in Corsica and expels the monks, it will transform the convent into general headquarter until 1767.

Why Pascal PAOLI does it choose Murato? This position with a third of road of Bastia allowed the locking of Golo by has CUSTERA, of the fast descents on the citadel of St Florent and an easy monitoring of the accesses of Bastia. Moreover it was the village of lieutenant Achille MURATI and of Joseph BARBAGGI husband in second wedding of Dionisa the girl of Clement PAOLI, the nephew by alliance of PAOLI live themselves to entrust the great intention of consults of Vescovato of May 24th, 1761.

Definitively to escape the old constraints and for one to as benefit as draw some from other STATES, it is advisable to strike as soon as possible, with the weapons of the kingdom, a money and copper currency, in sufficient quantity to meet the needs for the everyday life inside the country.

WITH ZECCA: after immense practical difficulties, metal caps, creation of an autonomous monetary workshop with furnaces, roller, press, cutter, baths of whitening, and the recruitment of specialized personnel, the supreme difficulty being to make engrave sets of corners of quality and which wore quickly!

One thus engraved the plays for the parts of:

20 soldi (money) = U VENTINU = 1 book

10 soldi (agent) = U DECINU = ½ delivers

4 soldi (balk) = U QUATRINU

2 soldi (balk) = U DUPPIONE

8 denari (balk) = BAIOCCU

The 1 soldo will be emitted only in 1768 in Corte. All these parts were emitted in 1763, vintage with the corners of 1762. Indeed the entry in activity of the mint of Corsica was on February 26th, 1763. One month later, total success, one had money enough to pour balances it troop and “everyone (one says) would like to hold some”. What is not taste of the police chief Gall de Gènes in Bastia which announces sanctions against the users of “counterfeit money” described as “falsified and hybrid”… It will be necessary to invent new taxes and various collections to supply out of invaluable materials has ZECCA of Murato, of which famous “the silver gate vault” (monstrance), of Torino, as well as a special tax on the clergy.

May 1761 having decided consults to strike the currencies “with the weapons of the kingdom (of Corsican), the types of currencies will carry to the right a “head of Moor, round with Dextre, animated (with eyes), beaded (with drop earring), colletée (collar of pearls), bearing tortil (stringcourse on the nape of the neck).

The first Master Coiners was Pierre ORTOSANI, paid 100 pounds per month. One described there a foreman (SUZZONI), six workmen, four auxiliaries and an attache with the writings.

One could count 22 types of currency, but we do not know the importance of each emission, sometimes extremely rare like the 20 soldi of 1762 found in only one specimen with the imperial cabinet of Saint-Petersbourg.

The forwarding of 1767, the conquest of Capraia per Achille MURATI will involve heavy expenditure, still worsened the shortly after military success (4 000 pounds per month). In September 1767 will end the production of the Corsican currency with Murato. Last the pig iron and cast iron will take place the first 8 days of the month running October 1767, the transport of the ZECCA on Corte will require 36 mule convoys conduits by men of Orezza. Why this removal? The vice is tightened around Murato, the French Armies will settle there since 1768, the Convent being transformed into military hospital by the royal troops.

It is from now on around Murato that all is played: Oletta, Chjesa Negra, have Custera.

Bridge novu on May 9th, 1769. BARBAGGI will be exiled with PAOLI in London.

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

the church Saint-Michel of Murato :

This small church of Romanesque architecture, San-Michele , is one of most beautiful of Corsica. Dated from the middle of the 12th century it was built whereas Corsica was controlled by Pisa. Its two-tone style pisan is recognizable by the alternation of the colors green (serpentine) and white, as one finds some in Italy in many churches of Toscane. The church is also remarkable by the various naive reasons which one finds on his walls.

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