Isn’t it eerie? The stones of Cascina Favana seem to hum with untold tales.
Cascina Favana stands as a silent witness to centuries of rural life in the Po Valley. It is a traditional northern Italian farmstead. These cascine, or farmhouses, were once the heart of agricultural communities.
The term “cascina” dates back to the Middle Ages. It likely comes from the Vulgar Latin word “capsia”. Capsia means corral or stockyard. Some believe it derives from “cacio” meaning cheese. This suggests their early role as dairy farms. Records of these farmhouses, then called cassine, exist from the 13th century. By this time, some Lombardy farms had boxes, stables, houses, mills, and defensive towers.
A typical cascina is a square-yarded farm. It sits in the middle of cultivated land. Brick buildings line the courtyard’s perimeter. These buildings include houses for the owner, tenant, and peasants. There were also stables, barns, fountains, ovens, stores, mills, and dairies. Cascine were often isolated. Some had up to one hundred inhabitants. Many included churches, inns, or even schools. Some cascine were fortified with walls, towers, moats, and drawbridges.
Cascina Favana and others in the High Po Valley usually housed 4-6 families. Those in the Low Po Valley could house 10-15 families or more. Peasants had specialized jobs within the cascina. “Campari” maintained irrigation. “Bergamini” cared for cattle. “Casari” worked in the dairy. “Bifolchi” plowed with oxen, and “cavallanti” with horses. “Contadini” were general farmers, mainly harvesting hay. Larger cascine also employed carpenters, masons, and blacksmiths.
Cascine mainly produced wheat, maize, rice, barley, milk, and cheese. They also cultivated cottonwood, elm, and mulberry trees. Cascine near cities like Milan specialized in perishable vegetables. These included cabbage and carrots. They were very profitable in urban markets.
Throughout the 20th century, cascine declined economically. Many were abandoned. Some were demolished. Others, like Cascina Favana, stand vacant and decaying. Some cascine have been absorbed by urban sprawl. They have been converted into residential buildings, schools, hotels, or commercial areas. Milan’s major airports were built on land previously occupied by cascine.
A number of modern place names include “cascina”. Examples include Cascina Gobba and Cassina Triulza. These settlements originated from cascine. The name “cascina” is sometimes omitted. Yet, the toponym preserves the cascina’s name.
As you stand here, imagine the lives that unfolded within these walls. The laughter, the labor, the community spirit. Cascina Favana offers a glimpse into a disappearing way of life. It reminds us of the deep connection between people and the land.