A whisper of wind seems to carry tales through the courtyard of Cascina Fiorbellina. It is a traditional farmstead of the Po Valley. These buildings were common in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Cascina Fiorbellina stands as a testament to a way of life. It is a life deeply rooted in the agricultural heartland of Lombardy. Close your eyes. Can you hear the echoes of farmers and families who once called this place home?
The term cascina itself has medieval roots. It was originally spelt capsina, caxina or cassina. It may derive from the Vulgar Latin capsia meaning corral or stockyard. Others say it comes from Old Italian cascio meaning cheese. This highlights cascine as dairy farms. Records of these farmhouses date back to the 13th century. By then centralized farms with stables, houses, mills and defenses had emerged.
Imagine this cascina in its prime. It is a self-sufficient community with as many as one hundred inhabitants. Public buildings like churches, inns and even schools could be found within its walls. For protection some cascine had defensive walls, towers, moats and drawbridges.
Peasants in cascine had specialized jobs. Campari maintained irrigation. Bergamini looked after the cattle. Casari worked in the dairy. Bifolchi managed ox-driven tillage. Cavallanti handled horse-driven tillage. Contadini were general farmers mainly harvesting hay for cattle. Larger cascine also employed carpenters, masons and blacksmiths.
The Po Valley cascine mainly produced wheat, maize, rice and barley. Milk and cheese were also important. Arboriculture was common. Cottonwood, elm and mulberry trees were cultivated. Cascine near cities like Milan specialized in perishable vegetables. Cabbage and carrots were profitable in urban markets.
But times changed. The 20th century brought a gradual decline to the cascine. They lost their former function. Many were demolished or left vacant. Some cascine were absorbed by urban sprawl. They were converted into residential buildings or schools. Airports in Milan were built on former cascine lands.
Yet, functioning cascine still exist in the Lombard countryside. These old-fashioned farms continue to produce milk.
Today the word cascina lives on in local place names. These names mark settlements that grew from cascine.
As you stand here at Cascina Fiorbellina remember its history. Think about the lives lived and the work done. It is more than just a building. It is a symbol of Lombardy’s agricultural past.