Right here before us stands Cascina Fabia a testament to rural architecture. It stands just outside Cornegliano Laudense. Cascina Fabia represents a specific type of rural building. It is a traditional farmstead common in the Po Valley of northern Italy. These cascine became common in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Let’s examine the structural layout of Cascina Fabia. The main house is a rectangular building. It features a three-bay portico and an overhead terrace. The roof is hipped and covered with brick tiles. The stable and barn form another rectangular building. Its side walls are plastered masonry. A portico supported by pillars faces the courtyard. The roof is asymmetrically pitched covered in brick tiles.
Look towards the farmhouses. These are rectangular buildings with plastered masonry walls and pillars. The roofs are symmetrically pitched covered with brick tiles. The stables mirror this construction. The roofs also have two symmetrical pitches covered with brick tiles. The storerooms are rectangular masonry buildings. A portico supported by pillars faces the courtyard. The roof has two asymmetrical pitches covered with brick tiles.
Consider the historical uses of these buildings. The main house and farmhouses served as residences. The storeroom was used for tool storage. The entire complex functioned as a dwelling. The stables housed animals. The barn provided space for both animals and hay storage.
Today Cascina Fabia continues to be utilized. The main house and farmhouses still serve as residences. The storeroom functions as a storage area. The stable remains a stable and the barn serves as a hayloft and stable. Cascina Fabia is private property.
Historians have documented Cascina Fabia. Agnelli mentioned it in Lodi ed il suo territorio nella storia nella geografia e nell’arte in 1964. Bravi also discussed it in Cornegliano Laudense uomini e vicende in 1994.
Imagine life within these walls centuries ago. Families lived and worked here. They cultivated the land. They raised animals. They contributed to the agricultural richness of the region. Cascina Fabia embodies the enduring legacy of rural life in Lombardy.