Italian businessman and former owner of various local businesses dies of COVID-19 |06 May 2020

Mr Corrias

Corradino Corrias, an Italian businessman and entrepreneur of great repute who for many years also owned various businesses in Seychelles, has died following complications from COVID-19.

He was aged 89.

The news of Mr Corrias’ death was published on May 1 in the Linkoristano, a daily newspaper of Oristano, the Italian city commune, and capital of the Province of Oristano in the central-western part of the island of Sardinia where Mr Corrias was from.

Mr Corrias’ name is famously linked to the history of the airports of Fenosu and Tortolì and to the airline company Air Sardinia, which he founded in the late eighties according to the Linkoristano article.

Born in one of the most famous city families, Corradino Corrias, in his youth, served in the carabinieri weapon, from which he took his leave with the rank of lieutenant. In the fifties he moved to Kenya, together with his first wife Livia Carta, founding a large farm.

In Seychelles Mr Corrias owned several businesses in the 70s and 80s including a carpentry firm called Sodis, Euro Motors, Oceangate House, Pirates Arms, Praslin Hotel and at one point the plot of land where the Central Bank of Seychelles is currently situated.

Mr Corrias and his wife Lily who lived at Sans Soucis had no children. They had their own small plane in which they often travelled to and from Praslin for business mostly.

A person who will always have some very good memories of Mr Corrias is Christa Adeline, who was the couple’s housekeeper.

“I practically lived with them. He sent a transport to pick me up where I lived at Corgat Estate at 7am everyday and I left very late in the evening but at times I slept at their house. I cleaned for them, I cooked and I served them their meals. I really enjoyed working for them. They were very nice people,” recalled Ms Adeline.

A mother of five, Ms Adeline said her husband also worked for the couple but he left to join the SPDF after the coup d’état.

Ms Adeline said she regrets not having visited Italy even though she had often been invited by the couple who travelled back to Italy between three to four times a year and stayed there for several weeks.

She said she did not visit because her husband was in the army and it was difficult for him.

She recalled that she was very sad to learn of his wife’s death in 1981 after she had been following treatment for many months back in Italy.

Mr Corrias returned to Seychelles sometimes later with his mother and they lived at Glacis where not long after his mother died and soon after he left Seychelles for good.

Ms Adeline was very emotional when she recounted numerous anecdotes about the times almost six years she spent working with Mr Corrias and his family.

“What I can say is that they were very good people and I am very sad to hear of his demise,” said Ms Adeline.

Compiled by M-A.L