Cascina a corte
Encyclopedia
The Italian
phrase cascina a corte or, equivalently, cascina lombarda or just cascina (IPA: kaˈʃina) refers to a type of rural building traditional of the Po Valley
, especially of Lombardy
and of some areas of Piedmont
and Emilia-Romagna
. Cascine are reported in the Po Valley at least since the 16th century, but they became commonplace in the 18th and 19th century. In particular, during Napoleonic
rule, a number of religious buildings were confiscated and transformed into cascine.
A typical cascina is a square-yarded farm (sometimes having multiple yards), located at the centre of a large piece of cultivated land. Different types of brick-wall buildings are lined on the perimeter of the courtyard; this typically includes houses (usually a main house for the family of the farm owner or tenant, and simpler buildings for the peasants' families), stable
s, barn
s, pits and fountain
s, oven
s, store
s, mill
s and dairies
. As most cascine were isolated, semi-autonomous settlements, with sometimes as much as one hundred inhabitants, many of them included public buildings such as churches, inns, or even schools. For the same reason, cascine were sometimes fortified structures, with defensive walls, towers, moats and drawbridges.
Cascine are found in most part of the Po Valley; those of the "High Po Valley" (also known as the "Dry Po Valley"), to the north, are usually smaller. While most cascine in the High Valley housed as much as 4-6 families, those of the Low Valley easily reached 10-15 families of inhabitants or more (up to a maximum of 20-25).
Peasants working in the cascine, especially in large ones, had specialized jobs. For example, so-called "campari" were responsible for the maintenance of irrigation
structures; "bergamini" looked after the cattle; "casari" worked in the dairy; "bifolchi" were responsible for ox-driven tillage (and "cavallanti" for horse-driven tillage); and "contadini" were factotum peasants, although their main task was that of harvesting hay for cattle feeding. In modern Italian language
, most of these terms have fallen into disuse, with the exception of "contadini" (which has become the general term to refer to farmers) and "bifolchi" (which is only preserved in a derived, insulting meaning, similar to that of the English word "boor"). Of course, larger cascine also had carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, and other workers whose jobs were not directly related to agriculture or farming.
Production in the cascine of the Po Valley mainly consisted in wheat
, maize
, rice
, barley
, milk and cheese. Arboriculture
was also common; cultivated trees included cottonwood, elm
, and mulberry. Cascine located close enough to larger urban areas and cities (e.g., those in the Corpi Santi
comune outside the walls of Milan
) often specialized in cultivating fresh, perishable vegetables (e.g., cabbage or carrot), that were very profitable in urban markets.
Cascine lost their role in the Po Valley economy in the 20th century; many of them were demolished, adapted for other uses (e.g., shools, government buildings, houses, restaurants or hotels) and absorbed into the expanding urban areas. All major airport
s in the Milanese area, for example, were built on land that was previously occupied by cascine. Nevertheless, cascine are still found in what remains of the Lombard and Po Valley country. For example, it has been reported that at least 43 cascine were still producing milk in the Province of Milan
in 2008.
) is a heritage site protected by FAI
and a national monument
. Scholars believe that it used to be Francesco Petrarca's country residence, and that it was used as a seat of a Hospitaller
or Templar
community.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
phrase cascina a corte or, equivalently, cascina lombarda or just cascina (IPA: kaˈʃina) refers to a type of rural building traditional of the Po Valley
Po Valley
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of 46,000 km² including its Venetic extension not actually related to the Po River basin; it runs from the Western Alps to the...
, especially of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
and of some areas of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
and Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
. Cascine are reported in the Po Valley at least since the 16th century, but they became commonplace in the 18th and 19th century. In particular, during Napoleonic
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
rule, a number of religious buildings were confiscated and transformed into cascine.
A typical cascina is a square-yarded farm (sometimes having multiple yards), located at the centre of a large piece of cultivated land. Different types of brick-wall buildings are lined on the perimeter of the courtyard; this typically includes houses (usually a main house for the family of the farm owner or tenant, and simpler buildings for the peasants' families), stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
s, barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
s, pits and fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
s, oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
s, store
Store
Store may refer to:*a retail store*a place where things are stored, e.g. a ship's paint store*expendables released from an aircraft, such as ordnance or countermeasures*Štore, a town and a municipality in eastern Slovenia...
s, mill
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
s and dairies
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
. As most cascine were isolated, semi-autonomous settlements, with sometimes as much as one hundred inhabitants, many of them included public buildings such as churches, inns, or even schools. For the same reason, cascine were sometimes fortified structures, with defensive walls, towers, moats and drawbridges.
Cascine are found in most part of the Po Valley; those of the "High Po Valley" (also known as the "Dry Po Valley"), to the north, are usually smaller. While most cascine in the High Valley housed as much as 4-6 families, those of the Low Valley easily reached 10-15 families of inhabitants or more (up to a maximum of 20-25).
Peasants working in the cascine, especially in large ones, had specialized jobs. For example, so-called "campari" were responsible for the maintenance of irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
structures; "bergamini" looked after the cattle; "casari" worked in the dairy; "bifolchi" were responsible for ox-driven tillage (and "cavallanti" for horse-driven tillage); and "contadini" were factotum peasants, although their main task was that of harvesting hay for cattle feeding. In modern Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, most of these terms have fallen into disuse, with the exception of "contadini" (which has become the general term to refer to farmers) and "bifolchi" (which is only preserved in a derived, insulting meaning, similar to that of the English word "boor"). Of course, larger cascine also had carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, and other workers whose jobs were not directly related to agriculture or farming.
Production in the cascine of the Po Valley mainly consisted in wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, milk and cheese. Arboriculture
Arboriculture
Arboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. It is both a practice and a science....
was also common; cultivated trees included cottonwood, elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
, and mulberry. Cascine located close enough to larger urban areas and cities (e.g., those in the Corpi Santi
Corpi Santi di Milano
Corpi Santi di Milano is a former Italian comune, established in 1782 and annexed to Milan in 1873. It comprised the rural territory around the city walls of Milan...
comune outside the walls of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
) often specialized in cultivating fresh, perishable vegetables (e.g., cabbage or carrot), that were very profitable in urban markets.
Cascine lost their role in the Po Valley economy in the 20th century; many of them were demolished, adapted for other uses (e.g., shools, government buildings, houses, restaurants or hotels) and absorbed into the expanding urban areas. All major airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s in the Milanese area, for example, were built on land that was previously occupied by cascine. Nevertheless, cascine are still found in what remains of the Lombard and Po Valley country. For example, it has been reported that at least 43 cascine were still producing milk in the Province of Milan
Province of Milan
The Province of Milan : /) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Milan. The provincial territory is highly urbanized, resulting in the third highest population density among the Italian provinces with more than 2,000 inhabitants/km2, just behind the provinces of...
in 2008.
Notable cascine
Cascina Linterno, in Baggio (MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
) is a heritage site protected by FAI
Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano
The Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano is the National Trust of Italy.The organisation was established in 1975 on the model of the British National Trust. It is a private non-profit organisation and has 60,000 members as of early 2005...
and a national monument
National monument
A National monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of national importance such as a war or the country's founding. The term may also refer to a specific monument status, such as a National Heritage Site, which most national monuments are by reason of their cultural...
. Scholars believe that it used to be Francesco Petrarca's country residence, and that it was used as a seat of a Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
or Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
community.