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Lisa et Jean Louis VILLANOVA

Domaine de Pelliciani

Farm sheep cheese

Visits : Production from the end of November to June / sale year-round

Regions : Balagna

Categories : Animal farming, cured meats, cheeses

Agricultural sectors : Corsican cheese, Suckling lamb and goat

By taking the small road that leads to Moncale near Calenzana, not only will you discover a charming little corner of Balagne, but you’ll also come across a shepherding couple, Jean-Louis and Lisa Villanova, who have kept the pastoral tradition of the region intact.

Let’s start with Jean-Louis: his hat glued to his head, a candid look and the gift of the gab; he’s a real character, proud of his roots and the traditions of his island, which he tries to preserve. “I've always been committed to defending Corsica’s ancestral values, whether through my job or my political and union battles, ”, says Jean-Louis. In this sometimes difficult modern world, he wants, at his own modest level,  to serve as a point of reference and as a defender.

His wife Lisa seems quieter at first, but once you cross the threshold of her cheese making workshop, she’s the one in charge. Cheese making, that's her business! And a serious business at that… She could even claim a form of activism with the efforts she makes to perpetuate this way of making cheese, which is very typical of Calenzana.

“We learned by watching the older generations do things. In agricultural training, young people learn the technical side of things, but know-how, that’s a different thing altogether. You have to absorb it, it’s not just about actions! ”, she concludes wisely.