Here stands Cascina Vallotta, a testament to Lombardy’s agricultural past. A “cascina” in the Po Valley is more than just a farmhouse. It’s a courtyard-provided farmstead, a building traditional to this region of northern Italy.
The term “cascina” dates back to the Middle Ages. It was often spelled “capsina”, “caxina”, or “cassina”. The word likely comes from Vulgar Latin “capsia”, meaning corral or stockyard. Another interpretation links it to Old Italian “cascio”, meaning cheese. This suggests many “cascine” served as dairy farms.
Cascina Vallotta, like other “cascine”, was once the heart of a large cultivated land. Imagine a square yard surrounded by brick buildings. These buildings housed everything needed for a self-sufficient community. There were homes for the farm owner and peasants. Stables housed animals. Barns stored hay. Ovens baked bread. Mills ground grain. Dairies produced cheese.
Many “cascine” even had public buildings. Churches provided spiritual guidance. Inns offered rest and refreshment. Some even had schools for the children. Isolated as they were, “cascine” were often fortified. Walls, towers, moats, and drawbridges protected residents from danger.
The peasants who lived and worked at Cascina Vallotta had specialized jobs. “Campari” maintained irrigation. “Bergamini” cared for the cattle. “Casari” worked in the dairy. “Bifolchi” plowed fields with oxen. “Contadini” were general farmers who harvested hay. Larger “cascine” like Cascina Vallotta also needed carpenters, masons, and blacksmiths. These people were not directly involved in farming.
Cascina Vallotta likely produced wheat, maize, rice, barley, milk, and cheese. Trees like cottonwood, elm, and mulberry were also cultivated. “Cascine” closer to Milan specialized in perishable vegetables. They grew cabbage and carrots. They were very profitable in urban markets.
Throughout the 20th century, “cascine” declined economically. Many were abandoned and fell into disrepair. Some were demolished. Others were absorbed by urban sprawl. They were converted into residential buildings, schools, hotels, and restaurants. Major airports in Milan were built on former “cascina” land.
Old-fashioned functioning “cascine” still exist in the Lombard countryside. These surviving “cascine” remind us of a simpler way of life. They show how agriculture once shaped the landscape.
Today, Cascina Vallotta stands as a reminder of this past. It echoes the stories of generations who lived and worked on this land. Take a moment to appreciate the history and heritage embodied in this rural structure.