A typical cascina is a square-yarded farm. We are standing before Cascina Bovera. It is a testament to the agricultural history of the Po Valley. These rural buildings are traditional in northern Italy especially in Lombardy. They are also found in areas of Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna.
Also known as cascine lombarde or just cascine, these buildings appeared in the Po Valley at least since the 16th century. They became common in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the Napoleonic era religious buildings were confiscated. They were then transformed into cascine.
The term cascina dates back to the Middle Ages. It was often spelt capsina, caxina or cassina. The noun may come from Vulgar Latin capsia. Capsia means corral or stockyard in English. Another interpretation links it to Old Italian cascio or cheese. This refers to cascine used as dairy farms. Records of farmhouses called cassine date back to the 13th century. By the mid-13th century centralized farms arose in areas of Lombardy. These farms had boxes, stables, houses, mills and defensive towers.
A typical cascina is a square-yarded farm at the center of cultivated land. Brick buildings line the courtyard. These include houses for the farm owner and peasants. There are also stables, barns, fountains, ovens, stores, mills and dairies. Cascine were isolated settlements. Many had public buildings like churches, inns or even schools. Some were fortified with walls, towers, moats and drawbridges.
Cascine in the High Po Valley housed 4-6 families. Those in the Low Po Valley housed 10-15 families or more. Peasants in cascine had specialized jobs. “Campari” maintained irrigation. “Bergamini” cared for cattle. “Casari” worked in the dairy. “Bifolchi” were responsible for ox-driven tillage. “Contadini” were general farmers. Larger cascine also had carpenters, masons, blacksmiths and other workers.
Production in cascine mainly involved wheat, maize, rice, barley, milk and cheese. Arboriculture was also common. They cultivated cottonwood, elm and mulberry trees. Cascine near urban areas like Milan specialized in fresh vegetables. These vegetables like cabbage or carrot were very profitable in urban markets.
From an economic standpoint cascine declined throughout the 20th century. They lost their former function in the Po Valley. Many were demolished or lie vacant. Some have been absorbed by urban sprawl. They have been converted into residential buildings, schools, hotels, restaurants or commercial areas. Major airports in Milan were built on land previously occupied by cascine.
However, old-fashioned functioning cascine still exist in the Lombard countryside. In 2008 at least 43 cascine were still producing milk in the Province of Milan.
Many modern toponyms in Lombardy include the word cascina or cassina. These place names refer to settlements that originated from a cascina.
Cascina Bovera stands as a reminder of this rich agricultural past. Take a moment to appreciate the history. Imagine the lives of those who worked this land. Their labor shaped the landscape around us.