Matra Mine, Matra, Corte, Haute-Corse, Corsica, Francei

Regional Level Types
Matra Mine	Mine (Abandoned)
Matra	Commune
Corte	Arrondissement
Haute-Corse	Department
Corsica	Region
France	Country

"On the N198 towards Bastia, take the D16 until Matra, where, near old mining buildings, it is possible to collect abundant orpiment, realgar, and stibnite."

FORGOTTEN CORSICA - MATRA, THE ARSENIC MINE

Known for its ancient families who exercised their feudal power there during [Pasquale] Paoli's time, the village of Matra also has the distinction of having experienced industrialisation with its arsenic mine, the exploitation of which would profoundly alter the lives of the approximately 200 inhabitants of this peaceful village.

The story begins at the end of the 19th century, when, following a flood of the small A Presa River, the presence of the deposit was discovered.

The vein proved to be very rich and represented a huge economic opportunity at the beginning of the 20th century because, at that time, arsenic, whose toxicity was still unknown, was used in metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, and the control of agricultural and domestic pests.

However, it was during the First World War that the poison caused the most damage.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Marsily family, landowners in the commune of Matra, initiated proceedings to obtain a concession, which were refused.

The family then sold their rights to the Société de l'Arsenic, a subsidiary of the Société des Mines de Luceram. After filing a patent in 1908, the L'Arsenic company, headed by Louis Charli, managing engineer, obtained the concession and actively exploited the deposit.

By 1912, the mine was operating at full capacity. Several galleries were sunk, and in the years leading up to the First World War, it employed up to 74 miners and extracted more than 36,000 tonnes of the precious vein, which would have great strategic value for France.

Indeed, arsenic is a powerful neurotoxin, as it is a component of poison gas. The ore was shipped to factories in the Haute-Loire region, which supplied chemical products for the war effort.

Every day, men and women arrive on foot from neighbouring villages to earn a pittance and endure appalling working conditions filled with toxic dust. A large number of foreigners from Italy and even Eastern Europe settle in the village. Matra's population doubles rapidly, and with it, trade flourishes.

In 1914, the mine, still expanding despite the labour shortage, begins producing for the army, supplying it with deadly gases.

To continue operating, it relies on foreign labour, including both prisoners of war and civilian internees.

From 1922 to 1936, the arsenic factory experiences a long period of inactivity. However, it resumes normal operations after its equipment is upgraded.

In 1939, the factory recruits again to meet the needs of the army, which once more needs to replenish its stocks of poison gas.

Despite an upgrade of the equipment, difficulties related to transport costs and the Second World War brought an end to the mine's operation in 1946.

In Matra, the arsenic mine operation left behind more than a few bitter memories.

The numerous tunnels, some over ten metres deep, which opened directly into the riverbed where spoil and other waste accumulated, caused pollution that persists to this day.

Abandoned on ground covered with a yellow-orange powder, the washing plant vats still serve as a stark reminder that one of the village's inhabitants died in one of them.

The page of this unfortunate era has now been turned, but the presence of this open-pit mine and this carved mountain above the village remains a place of memory, a piece of our history that very few remember.