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{{short description|19th-century phenomenon}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{History of Corsica}}
{{Puerto Ricans}}
'''Corsican immigration to [[Puerto Rico]]''' resulted in the 19th century from widespread economic and political changes in Europe that made life difficult for the peasant and agricultural classes in Corsica and other territories. The [[Second Industrial Revolution]] drew more people into urban areas for work, widespread crop failure resulted from long periods of drought, and crop diseases, and political discontent rose. In the early nineteenth century, Spain lost most of its possessions in the so-called "[[New World]]" as its colonies won independence. It feared rebellion in its last two [[Caribbean]] colonies: [[Puerto Rico]] and [[Cuba]]. The Spanish Crown had issued the [[Royal Decree of Graces of 1815]] (''Real Cédula de Gracias'') which fostered and encouraged the immigration of European [[Catholics]], even if not of Spanish origin, to its Caribbean colonies.
Hundreds of families emigrated from [[Corsica]] to Puerto Rico. Corsicans and those of Corsican descent played an instrumental role in the development of the economy of the island, especially in the [[Coffee production in Puerto Rico|coffee industry]].
== First documented Corsican immigrants ==
Juan Fantauzzi was the first documented Corsican to immigrate to Puerto Rico. He was born about 1734 in [[Morsiglia|Morsiglia, Corsica]]. He immigrated to what is now [[Aguadilla, Puerto Rico|Aguadilla]] in the 1760s, where he married Josefa Martínez. Two known children of theirs are Francisco and Juan María Fantauzzi. He died November 5, 1798. His death certificate confirms his Corsican origin.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Chronology {{!}} Expocorsica|url = http://expocorsica.com/realia/?q=en/node/72|website = expocorsica.com|access-date = 2015-11-21|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170211152714/http://expocorsica.com/realia/?q=en%2Fnode%2F72|archive-date = February 11, 2017|url-status = dead}}</ref>
Antonio Silvestri was a Corsican who immigrated to Puerto Rico and settled in [[Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico|Cabo Rojo]] in 1762. He married Maria Francisca de Rivera in that town sometime in the 1770s and had a total of 16 children. He died in Cabo Rojo on May 18, 1820, at the age of 74.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FamilySearch |website=[[FamilySearch]] |url=https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KG96-9RX}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=GENi |date=May 3, 2022 |url=https://www.geni.com/people/Antonio-Silvestri/6000000076810242839}}</ref>
Marcos Rotuli was a Corsican who came to Puerto Rico in the year of 1763 with the infantry Regiment of Navara during the [[Seven Years' War]] with England. He later served in the ''Fijo'' battalion and the ''Milicias Disiplinadas'' in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]] as well as taking part in the [[Battle of San Juan (1797)|Battle of San Juan]] in 1797. In 1798, after attaining the rank of Captain, he was later stationed in [[Yauco, Puerto Rico|Yauco]] where he was in charge of the ''Milicias Disciplinadas'' of that town. He also had a relative named Domingo Capas y Rotuli who was a coffee farmer and lived in the area since 1782. Marcos Rotuli died on November 20, 1802, in Yauco at the age of 72.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FamilySearch | website=[[FamilySearch]] |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSVK-Y8WB-3?i=201&cat=239032}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FamilySearch | website=[[FamilySearch]] |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G94C-39MN-G?i=71&cat=277991}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FamilySearch | website=[[FamilySearch]] |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSVF-RQN3-T?i=4054&cat=277991}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FamilySearch | website=[[FamilySearch]] |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BHG-9S9W?i=185&cc=1919700&cat=600202}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://econtent.unm.edu/digital/collection/scrc/id/4865/rec/3 |title=3529 19 |access-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20240430000439/https://econtent.unm.edu/digital/collection/scrc/id/4865/rec/3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://econtent.unm.edu/digital/collection/scrc/id/4633/rec/2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702234645/https://econtent.unm.edu/digital/collection/scrc/id/4633/rec/2|date=July 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/saju/attack.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702235258/https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/saju/attack.pdf|date=July 2, 2023}}</ref>
Pedro Antonio de Paula Antonetti was a Corsican who settled in the town of Yauco and married Isabel Rodriguez on May 2, 1787. He died in Yauco on January 30, 1810, at the age of 100.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FamilySearch | website=[[FamilySearch]] |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK9-PQ3V-4?i=2160&cat=277991}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FamilySearch | website=[[FamilySearch]] |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSVF-RQDM-L?cat=277991}}</ref>
Antonio Juliani was a Corsican soldier in the Regiment of Naples. He was born in Ajaccio and married Maria Abad de Burgos in San Juan on February 1, 1790.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FamilySearch | website=[[FamilySearch]] |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9398-K83M-H9?i=803&cc=1807092&cat=1049766}}</ref>
==19th century Corsica==
Corsica is an island located west of [[Italy]] and southeast of mainland [[France]]. Corsica belonged to the [[Republic of Genoa]] (before [[Genoa]] became part of Italy) and in 1768 was ceded to France to pay off debt. The island's people relied largely on an agricultural economy for survival.<ref>[http://www.corsica.net/corsica/uk/discov/hist/index.htm A Brief Chronology] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703012716/http://www.corsica.net/corsica/uk/discov/hist/index.htm |date=July 3, 2007 }}, Retrieved July 31, 2007</ref>
There were political and economic changes in Europe in the late 18th/early 19th centuries. These changes greatly affected the lives of the French and the Corsicans. With the [[Second Industrial Revolution]], many agricultural workers moved to the cities in the hope of finding better-paying jobs and making better lives. Long periods of drought and crop diseases led to widespread crop failures (e.g. the [[phylloxera]] epidemic destroyed the [[Corsican wine]] industry and much of the French). A [[cholera]] epidemic caused many deaths, and there was a general deterioration in economic conditions. Many Corsican farms began to fail.<ref>[http://www.h-net.org/~business/bhcweb/publications/BEHonline/2004/Bonin.pdf Review: ''Second Industrial Revolution in France'' by Hubert Bonin], H-Net, Retrieved July 31, 2007</ref>
The resulting widespread political discontent erupted in bitter armed conflict between the people and their governments, particularly in the [[Revolutions of 1848]]. King [[Louis-Philippe]] of France was overthrown in that [[Revolution of 1848 in France|revolution]] and a republic was declared with a Provisional Government. Three new political groups emerged during that era: they were the liberals, [[Radicalism (historical)|radical]]s, and the [[socialists]]. The combination of man-made and natural disasters in Corsica left an acute feeling of hopelessness.<ref>[http://history.hanover.edu/texts/fr1848.html Documents of the Revolution of 1848 in France], Retrieved July 31, 2007</ref> All this came about at a time when Spain was growing fearful of the possibility of a rebellion in her Caribbean colonies, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
==Spanish Royal Decree of Graces==
[[File:Steamship Corsican.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Type of steamship in which Corsicans arrived in Puerto Rico]]
[[File:Real Cédula de Gracia.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Royal Decree of Graces, 1815]]
By 1825, Spain had lost the entirety of her territories in [[Mexico]], Central and South America. It struggled to prevent rebellion in the Caribbean colonies. It decided to encourage immigration to the islands by European Catholics, for instance from Ireland, Corsica, and Italy, thinking they could establish a loyal base grateful for the opportunity. In 1815, the Spanish Crown had issued the Royal Decree of Graces (Real Cédula de Gracias) which fostered the immigration of non-Spanish European Catholics to its Caribbean colonies.<ref name="Graces2">[http://www.icp.gobierno.pr/galeria/archivogeneral/documentos/index.htm Archivo General de Puerto Rico: Documentos] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018040916/http://www.icp.gobierno.pr/galeria/archivogeneral/documentos/index.htm |date=October 18, 2007 }} Retrieved August 3, 2007</ref>
As the island of Puerto Rico is very similar in [[geography]] to Corsica, it appealed to new immigrants. Under the Spanish Royal Decree of Graces, the Corsicans and other immigrants were granted land and initially given a "Letter of Domicile" after swearing loyalty to the Spanish Crown and allegiance to the [[Catholic Church]]. After five years they could request a "Letter of Naturalization" and become Spanish subjects.<ref name="Graces2"/>
==Influence in the coffee industry==
{{Main|Coffee production in Puerto Rico}}
Hundreds of Corsicans and their families migrated to Puerto Rico from as early as 1830, and their numbers peaked in the early 1900s. The first Spanish settlers had settled and owned the land in the coastal areas, as they wanted access to the sea. The Corsicans tended to settle the mountainous southwestern region of the island, primarily in the towns of [[Adjuntas, Puerto Rico|Adjuntas]], [[Lares, Puerto Rico|Lares]], [[Utuado, Puerto Rico|Utuado]], [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]], [[Coamo, Puerto Rico|Coamo]], [[Yauco, Puerto Rico|Yauco]], [[Guayanilla, Puerto Rico|Guayanilla]], and [[Guánica, Puerto Rico|Guánica]]. [[Yauco, Puerto Rico|Yauco]], with a rich agricultural area, attracted the majority of the Corsican settlers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.elyunque.com/coffee.htm |title=A Little History of Coffee and Agriculture in Puerto Rico |access-date=July 31, 2007 |archive-date=July 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704172837/http://elyunque.com/coffee.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The three main commodity crops in Yauco were [[coffee]], [[sugar cane]] and [[tobacco]].
The new settlers dedicated themselves to the cultivation of these crops, and had soon saved enough money to own and operate their own grocery stores. Some made their money from coffee. Cultivation of coffee in Yauco originally began in the [[Ranchera, Yauco, Puerto Rico|Rancheras]] and [[Diego Hernández, Yauco, Puerto Rico|Diego Hernández]] sectors, and later extended to the [[Aguas Blancas, Yauco, Puerto Rico|Aguas Blancas]], [[Frailes, Yauco, Puerto Rico|Frailes]] and [[Rubias, Yauco, Puerto Rico|Rubias]] sectors. By the 1860s the Corsican settlers were the leaders of the coffee industry in Puerto Rico: seven out of ten coffee plantations were owned by Corsicans.<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.com/~prsanjua/mis-022.htm Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028182720/http://www.rootsweb.com/~prsanjua/mis-022.htm |date=October 28, 2007 }}, Retrieved July 31, 2007</ref> [[File:Historical Corsican Plaque.jpg|200px|thumb|Memorial dedicated to the Corsicans in Yauco]]
The Mariani family of Yauco used two tactics to strengthen their position in the coffee industry:
* First, they converted a [[cotton gin]] to use it for mechanical de-husking of coffee cherries, a labor-intensive process.
* Second, they sent two of their family as representatives to visit the important European coffee buying centers and establish connections. The visit to Europe was a success, and Mariania led Puerto Rico to become an important member of the worldwide coffee industry.<ref>[http://www.yscoffee.com/essays-and-docs/company.htm Company History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509140948/http://www.yscoffee.com/essays-and-docs/company.htm |date=May 9, 2008 }}, Retrieved July 31, 2007</ref>
The descendants of the Corsican settlers also became influential in the fields of education, literature, journalism and politics. Historians Colonel Héctor A. Negroni, (USAF-Retired), and Enrique Vivoni Farage, PhD, have researched the Corsican-Puerto Rican connection and documented substantial information about Puerto Rico's ties with Corsica. Today the town of Yauco is known as both the "Corsican Town" (''Pueblo de Corsos'') and "The Coffee Town" (''Pueblo del Café''). A memorial was installed in Yauco with the inscription, "To the memory of our citizens of Corsican origin, France, who in the 19th Century became rooted in our village, who have enriched our culture with their traditions and helped our progress with their dedicated work – the municipality of Yauco pays them homage." Corsican surnames such as Paoli, Negroni and Fraticelli are now common in the island.<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.com/~prhgs/corsican_01.htm Corsican Immigrants to Puerto Rico], retrieved July 31, 2007</ref>
== Influence in the sugar industry ==
[[File:Yauco Coffee Plantation.gif|250px|left|thumb|Early Yauco coffee plantation (Pre-1920)]]
During the 19th century, many Corsican migrants started or purchased sugar mills throughout the island: for example the mills operated in Aguadilla and [[Aguada, Puerto Rico|Aguada]] by the Santoni family. Carlos Sixto Santoni Alers operated the [[Central Coloso]] mill, which was purchased from his father in 1862.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Reichard de Cardona |first=Dr. Haydee |title=Haciendas agrícolas del triángulo noroeste de Puerto Rico: ... sus dueños e historias |publisher=Independently published |date=September 2020 |isbn=979-8652682576 |edition=Spanish}}</ref> Many of these mills changed hands between the Corsican-Puerto Rican community, and evident{{clarify|date=April 2025}}{{Fix|text=What is evident?}} through decisions by the [[Supreme Court of Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican Supreme Court]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Library of Congress |first=El Mundo [Volume] |date=August 16, 1924 |title=Interesante Opinion del Tribunal Supremo concediendole al Sr. Charles Vere la suma de $25,000 por concepto de comision sobre la venta de la Central Coloso |pages=Página 3 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86077151/1924-08-16/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1777&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=Charles+Vere&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=4&state=Puerto+Rico&date2=1963&proxtext=Charles+Vere&y=21&x=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=4}}</ref>
The [[Spanish–American War]] allowed the sugar industry to thrive after American intervention, since the industry was competing and losing to Cuba and Brazil. Despite investment by American sugar companies, problems developed for the sugar industry, such as the [[Merchant Marine Act of 1920|Jones-Costigan Act]]. This was [[Protectionism in the United States|protectionist]] legislation that restricted Puerto Rican exporting of sugar in order to allow sugar companies in the mainland United States to compete.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Suarez |first=Nydia R. |date=December 1998 |title=The Rise and Decline of Puerto Rico's Sugar Economy |url=https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/5cppjuyp/rise-and-decline-of-puertorico_5_17.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014131045/https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/5cppjuyp/rise-and-decline-of-puertorico_5_17.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 14, 2021 |journal=USDA Economic Research Service |issue=SSS-224 |pages=22}}</ref>
Sugar accounted for nearly half of agriculture in Puerto Rico, but by 1964 there was a decline in sugar production due to adverse government policies and hurricanes. Most of the land which hosted these sugar plantations is now owned by the Government of Puerto Rico.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Charles |first=Dan |date=13 May 2017 |title=How Puerto Rico Lost Its Home-Grown Food, But Might Find It Again |website=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/13/527934047/how-puerto-rico-lost-its-home-grown-food-but-might-find-it-again}}</ref>
==Landmarks in Yauco and Ponce==
Several properties in Yauco and Ponce, which once belonged to Corsican immigrants, are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places|National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico]].<ref>[http://www.gobierno.pr/OECH/inicio.htm La Oficina Estatal de Conservación Histórica] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927025504/http://www.gobierno.pr/OECH/inicio.htm |date=September 27, 2011 }} (Spanish), Retrieved September 6, 2007</ref>
===Casa Franceschi Antongiorgi===
The [[Casa Franceschi Antongiorgi]] (Franceschi Antongiorgi House) was built in 1907 by the French architect André Troublard for Alejandro Franceschi Antongiorgi, a rich landowner and lover of the [[arts]]. He frequently held [[banquets]], [[concerts]] and meetings with visiting artists in his house.<ref>[http://www.gobierno.pr/OECH/AreasProgramaticas/Registro/Yauco/Casa+Franceschi+Antongiorgi.htm Casa Franceschi Antongiorgi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929222822/http://www.gobierno.pr/OECH/AreasProgramaticas/Registro/Yauco/Casa+Franceschi+Antongiorgi.htm |date=September 29, 2007 }}, Retrieved July 31, 2007</ref>
===Casa Antonio Mattei Lluberas===
The Casa Antonio Mattei Lluberas, also called [[Casona Césari|La Casona Césari]] (Césari Mansion) was built in 1893 by Antonio Mattei Lluberas. This house is also known as "The House with Twelve Doors." Later, it was acquired by Ángel Césari Poggi, husband of Ángela Antongiorgi Rodríguez. The Césari Antongiorgi family was instrumental in the development of the sugar industry in the southern region of the island.<ref>[http://languageisavirus.com/eddie-izzard/factsheet.php?title=Corsican_immigration_to_Puerto_Rico Casa Antonio Mattei Lluberas], Retrieved July 31, 2007</ref>
===Chalet Amill===
The [[Chalet Amill]] was built in 1914 by architect Tomás Olivari Santoni for Ángel Antongiorgi Paoli. Antongiorgi Paoli gave the chalet to his daughter Ana Lucía as a wedding gift when she married Juan Amill Rodríguez. The couple soon divorced. By the mid-1920s, the chalet was converted into a hotel, first named as the Auristela Hotel and then as the Paris Hotel. This hotel was owned by Lola Bartolomei, the daughter of Francisco Bartolomei. The Bartolomei family were first-generation Corsican immigrants who owned coffee plantations in this area.
===Mansión Negroni===
The Mansión Negroni (Negroni Mansion), also known as [[Casa Agostini]] (Agostini House), was built around 1850 by Antonio Francisco Negroni Mattei. Later it passed to the Agostini family through the marriage of María Victoria Negroni, daughter of Antonio Francisco, and Ignacio Agostini Felipi. The Agostini family made their fortune in the exportation of coffee. They were the owners of ''"Sobrinos de Agostini y Compañía"'' (Nephews of Agostini & Co.). Ángel Pedro Agostini Natali, a member of the family, is credited with inventing the coffee grinder. This machine revolutionized the coffee industry. As a consequence, the island was able to meet the huge demand for Puerto Rican coffee, which resulted in the "Golden Age" of Yauco's economy. This house was acquired for use by the Holy Rosary School in Yauco, and a [[bronze]] plaque describes its history.<ref>[http://i8.tinypic.com/2cihhlj.jpg Mansion Negroni] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926010349/http://i8.tinypic.com/2cihhlj.jpg |date=September 26, 2007 }} Retrieved August 3, 2007</ref>
===Residencia Lluberas Negroni===
[[File:Residencia Gonzalez Vivaldi 2 - Yauco Puerto Rico.jpg|thumb|left|Residencial González Vivaldi]]
The Residencia Lluberas Negroni, currently known as the [[Residencia González Vivaldi]] (González Vivaldi Residence), was built in 1880 by Arturo Lluberas for his wife Asunción Negroni. Most recently, it was acquired by the González Vivaldi family.
===Casa Paoli===
[[File:CasaPaoli JuanLlanesSantosPRSHPO pic2 MainFacade.jpg|250px|thumb|Casa Paoli]]
The [[Casa Paoli]] was built {{circa|1864}} and is located on 2648 Calle Mayor,<ref>[http://www.periodicolaperla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2885:se-multiplican-los-colores-del-rey-del-pincel&catid=119:articulos&Itemid=342 ''Vivos los colores del Rey del Pincel.''] Reinaldo Millán. ''La Perla del Sur.'' Ponce, Puerto Rico. August 3, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011. Note: This is the new address number of the ___location based on recent US Postal Service renumbering of lots in that area. The old #14 is still widely in use.</ref> Barrio [[Cuarto (Ponce)|Cuarto]] in [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]]. It is nationally significant as the birthplace of [[Antonio Paoli]] Marcano, who became an internationally acclaimed tenor and opera singer. He performed and was widely praised in Europe and the Americas, including Caribbean islands. The house had been a wedding gift for Paoli's parents, who married at the [[Ponce Cathedral]] after the birth of the first five of their eight children. (His maternal grandfather had initially opposed the marriage because his daughter was much wealthier than Paoli's immigrant Corsican father. The couple eloped together.) Antonio, their seventh child, was born in this house, as were two of his siblings.<ref name=nrhpreg/> In 2009, Casa Paoli was included in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].
{{clear}}
==Notable Yaucano(a)s of Corsican descent==
[[File:Antonio Mattei Lluberas.jpg|x150px|right|thumb|Antonio Mattei Lluberas]][[File:José Semidei Rodríguez (1920).jpg|120px|right|thumb|Brigadier General José Semidei Rodríguez]]
The following is a list of some of the notable people from Yauco of Corsican descent:<ref>''History of Puerto Rico: A Panorama of Its People,'' by [[Fernando Picó]]; Publisher: Markus Wiener Publishers; {{ISBN|1-55876-370-8}}; {{ISBN|978-1-55876-370-8}}</ref>
* Agostini, Amelia (1896–1996) – anthologist, poet, educator, professor at [[Columbia University]]
*[[Mariana Bracetti]] - revolutionary
* Franquiz, José A. (1906–1967) – poet
* [[Mihiel Gilormini|Gilormini, Mihiel "Mike"]] (1918–1988) – [[World War II]] hero and founder of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. Retired as Brigadier General in the Air National Guard
* Giovannetti, José Antonio – educator, poet
* Mariani, Pedro Domingo (1880–1925) – poet, journalist
* Mariani Ortiz, Lydia – educator, Puerto Rican rights activist
* Masini Molini, José Antonio "El Corso" (1913–1987) – [[agronomist]]. Director, Land Authority of Puerto Rico (1969–1972) – Director, Sugar Corporation of Puerto Rico (1977–1984);
* Mattei, Andrés (1863–1925) – poet, journalist;
* [[Antonio Mattei Lluberas|Mattei Lluberas, Antonio]] (1857–1908) – Leader of the [[Intentona de Yauco]], revolt of 1897 and mayor of Yauco from 1904 to 1906;
* Mignucci Calder, Carlos Armando (1889–1954) – politician, mayor of Yauco (1944–52), member of Puerto Rico's Constitutional Assembly (1952);
* [[Héctor Andrés Negroni|Negroni, Héctor Andrés]] – First Puerto Rican graduate of the US Air Force Academy, US Air Force Colonel, fighter pilot, senior Aerospace Executive and historian;
* Negroni, Julio Alberto – Electrical engineer who served as the First President for the Water Works Authority in Puerto Rico;
* Negroni, Santiago – journalist, educator and poet;
* Negroni Lucca, Santos (1851–1920) – [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] patriot and one of the 16 prisoners in [[El Morro Castle]] in 1887;
* Negroni Mattei, Francisco (1897–1939) – poet, journalist;
* Olivari Santoni, Tomás (1902–1904) – Architect and mayor of Yauco;
* Olivieri Gómez, Luis A. (1937) Baptist minister, musician, [[choral]] conductor, professor at UIA-Metro (1979–present);
* Olivieri Rodríguez, Ulises – poet, journalist;
* [[Antonio Paoli|Paoli, Antonio]] - opera singer
* Pietrantoni Blasini, Julio (1935–2006) – lawyer, banker, president of Puerto Rico Government Development Bank from 1978 to 1985;
*[[Francisco Rojas Tollinchi|Rojas Tollinchi, Francisco]] (1911–1965) – poet, civic leader and journalist;<ref name="JDLOFRT">"JUSTIPRECIACIÓN DE LA OBRA DE FRANCISCO ROJAS TOLLINCHI"; by Ada Hilda Martínez de Alicea; Dept. Estudios Hispánicos Pontificia Universidad Católica de PR.</ref>
*[[José Semidei Rodríguez|Semidei Rodríguez, José]] (1868–1958) – Brigadier General in the Cuban Liberation Army;<ref name="MHPR">"Historia militar de Puerto Rico"; by [[Héctor Andrés Negroni]] (Author); Page 476; Publisher: Sociedad Estatal Quinto Centenario (1992); Language: Spanish; {{ISBN|84-7844-138-7}}; {{ISBN|978-84-7844-138-9}}</ref>
==Corsican influence in Puerto Rican and popular culture==
[[File:Antonio Paoli, tenor operístico puertorriqueño nacido en Barrio Cuarto, Ponce, Puerto Rico.jpg|150px|thumb|Antonio Paoli]]
Besides having distinguished careers in agriculture and the military, Puerto Ricans of Corsican descent have made many other contributions to the Puerto Rican way of life. Their contributions can be found in, but are not limited to, the fields of education, commerce, politics and entertainment. The Vivoni family has four notable members: Carlos Vivoni, the former Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce and, as well, former Secretary of Housing, Pedro Santos Vivoni, the first mayor of Lajas, Pierre Vivoni, a Judge and former Police Commissioner, Enrique Vivoni Farage, PhD, Professor Emeritus UPR School of Architecture and Historian, as well as José Antonio Vivoni Ramírez de Arellano, the former mayor of [[San Germán]].<ref>"Los Corsos-Americanos"; By: Enrique Vivoni Farage; Publisher: Universidad de Puerto Rico; {{ISBN|978-0-9650094-6-1}}</ref>
Other Puerto Ricans of Corsican descent who have led notable political careers were [[Ernesto Ramos Antonini]], who was the first President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and co-founder of the [[Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)|Partido Popular Democrático]] de Puerto Rico (Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico),<ref>[http://www.ramosantonini.com/gallery1.htm ''Un Hombre para la Historia: Ernesto Ramos Antonini, Galeria de Fotos 1, Anuario Ponce High.''] Ernesto Morales Ramos. 2005. Retrieved December 20, 2011.</ref> [[Jaime Fuster Berlingeri]], an associate justice of the [[Puerto Rico Supreme Court]] and former Resident Commissioner,<ref>[http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/puertoricohoy/noticias/muere_juez_supremo_fuster/324822 El Nuevo Día, ''Muere Juez Fuster''; December 3, 2007.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205202831/http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/puertoricohoy/noticias/muere_juez_supremo_fuster/324822 |date=December 5, 2007 }}</ref> [[Jorge Farinacci]], the head of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party,<ref>[http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/29/1348227&mode=thread&tid=25 Article regarding FBI involvement against PR independence] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116231945/http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05%2F09%2F29%2F1348227&mode=thread&tid=25 |date=November 16, 2007 }}</ref> and [[Jorge Santini]], the former mayor of San Juan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sanjuan.pr/ |title=San Juan, Ciudad Capital |access-date=July 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304133017/http://www.sanjuan.pr/ |archive-date=March 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
One of the first Puerto Rican entertainers to achieve world-wide fame was [[Antonio Paoli]] Marcano, an opera singer known as "The King of Tenors" and as "The Tenor of Kings." He was the first operatic artist to record an entire opera when he participated in a performance of ''[[Pagliacci]]'' by [[Ruggiero Leoncavallo]] in Italy in 1907.<ref name="nrhpreg">{{cite web |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: Casa Paoli |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/weekly_features/CasaPaoli.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415073119/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/weekly_features/CasaPaoli.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |date=August 11, 2009 |author=Juan Llanes Santos |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=December 4, 2009}} (19 pages, with maps and b&w historic photos and 5 recent color photos). Registration Form #2280 (NRHP# 09000769). Page 5.</ref> The Palmieri brothers, [[Charlie Palmieri|Charlie]] and [[Eddie Palmieri]], were band leaders in the United States.<ref name="EP">[http://www.warr.org/palmieri.html Palmieri]</ref> Rock N Roll Hall of Famer [[Joe Negroni]] was a member of the [[rock and roll]] group ''The Teenagers.''<ref name="RB">[http://www.rockabilly.nl/artists/teenagers.htm Rockabilly]</ref> Both [[Americo Boschetti|Américo Boschetti]]<ref name="Bands">[http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Américo_Boschetti/ Américo Boschetti]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and [[Vicente Carattini]] were singers and [[composers]]. Carattini composed Puerto Rican Christmas-related songs.<ref name="Caratini">{{Cite web |url=http://www.prpop.org/noticias/nov05/vicente_carattini_nov12.shtml |title=Vicente Caratini |access-date=January 18, 2012 |archive-date=February 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204050807/http://www.prpop.org/noticias/nov05/vicente_carattini_nov12.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Carmen Delia Dipiní]] was also a notable singer of [[Music of Puerto Rico|boleros]].<ref name="P">[http://www.topuertorico.org/city/naguabo.shtml PR]</ref>
==Surnames of the first Corsican families in Puerto Rico==
The following is a list of some of the surnames of the first Corsican families who immigrated to the Adjuntas, Yauco, Guayanilla, and Guánica areas of Puerto Rico in the 19th Century. This list was compiled by [[genealogist]] and historian Colonel (USAF Ret.) [[Héctor Andrés Negroni|Héctor A. Negroni]] who has done exhaustive research on the Corsican [[Human migration|migration]] and origins of his Negroni family name.<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.com/~prhgs/corsican_01.htm Corsican immigrants to Puerto Rico], Retrieved August 3, 2007</ref><!--- Please do not make any changes to this list.--->
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background-color:#CCCCCC"
| style="text-align:center;background-color:#ffebad;" colspan=5 | Surnames of the first Corsican families in Puerto Rico
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Adriani, Agostini, Altieri, Anciani, Angilucci, Annoni, Anpani, Antongiorgi, Antoni, Antonini, Antonmarchi, Antonmattei, Antonsanti, Antonpietri, Arenas, Artigau, Barbari, Bartoli, Bartolomei, Battistini, Benedetti, Belgodere, Bettolacce, Benvenutti, Berlingeri, Bernardini, Biaggi, Blasini, Boagna, Boccheciamp, Bocagnani, Bonelli, Bonini, Bracetti, Cardi, Carraffa, Casablanca, Casanova, Catinchi, Cervoni, Cesari, Chiavramonti, Cianchini, Costa, Damiani, Dastas, Defendini, Deodati, Dominicci, Emmanuelli, Estella, Fabbiani, Fantauzzi, Farinacci, Feliberti, Felippi, Ficaya, Figarella, Filipini, Franceschi, Franceshini, Franzuni, Fratacci, Fraticelli, Galletti, Garrosi, Gentili, Gilormini, Giovanetti, Giraldi, Giuseppi, Giuliani, Gordi, Graziani, Grillasca, Grimaldi, Guidiccelli, Lacroix, Lagomarsini, Laveri, Lazarini, Leandri, Linarola, Lipureli, Lorenzi, Lucca, Luchessi, Lucchetti, Luiggi, Maestracci, Malatesta, Marcantoni, Marcucci, Mari, Mariani, Marietti, Marini, Massari, Massei, Masini, Mattei, Maxinie, Micheli, Miguinini, Mignucci, Minucci, Modesti, Molinari, Molinelli, Molini, Montaggioni, Moravani, Mori, Muratti, Natali, Navaroli, Negroni, Nicolai, Nigaglioni, Octaviani, Olivieri, Orsini, Padovani, Paganacci, Palmieri, Paoli, Paraliticci, Pelliccia, Pellicer, Piacentini, Piazza, Pieraldi, Piereschi, Pieretti, Pierantoni, Pietrantoni, Pietri, Piovanetti, Poggi, Polidori, Quilinchini, Rafaelli, Rafucci, Rapale, Rencini, Renesi, Romanacce, Romani, Rubiani, Rutali, Safini, Saladini, Sallaveri, Santini, Santoni, Santuchi, Savelli, Secola, Semidei, Senati, Shyny, Sinigaglia, Silvagnoli, Silvestrini, Simonetti, Sisco, Sonsonetti, Tollinchi, Tomasi, Tomasini, Tossi, Totti, Vecchini, Vicchioli, Vallevigne, Vicenti, Vincenti, Vincenty, Villanueva, Vivaldi and Vivoni.
|-
|}
==See also==
{{Portal|Puerto Rico|France}}
*[[Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico]]
*[[French immigration to Puerto Rico]]
*German immigration to Puerto Rico
*[[Irish immigration to Puerto Rico]]
*[[
*[[
*[[
*[[List of notable Puerto Ricans]]
*[[Royal Decree of Graces of 1815]]
*[[Corsican immigration to Venezuela]]
*[[Corsican people]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.corsicacorsica.homestead.com/PRSurnames.html Corsican surnames in Puerto Rico (486 surnames)]
* [http://www.thuto.org/ubh/ub/h202/fr19p1.htm 19th Century French Politics]
* [http://www.yscoffee.com/essays-and-docs/company.htm Cafe Yaucano] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509140948/http://www.yscoffee.com/essays-and-docs/company.htm |date=May 9, 2008 }}
* [http://www.gobierno.pr/OECH/AreasProgramaticas/Registro/mapa.htm National Register of Historic Places] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927025048/http://www.gobierno.pr/OECH/AreasProgramaticas/Registro/mapa.htm |date=September 27, 2011 }}
* [http://www.proyectosalonhogar.com/Brindo_por_mi_hijo/Listado_de_corsos.htm List of Corsican and French descendants in Puerto Rico (In Spanish)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090511165703/http://www.corsosportorico.com/ Corsican Association of Puerto Rico / Asociación de Corsos de Puerto Rico (In Spanish)]
{{Immigration to Puerto Rico}}
{{French diaspora}}
[[Category:Corsican diaspora]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Puerto Rico|Corsican]]
[[Category:European diaspora in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Immigration to Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Social history of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:History of Corsica]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of Corsican descent| ]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of French descent|*]]
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