Sundro is the original name. It was given to this area in 842. Now, we stand at Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti. It is a place with a rich history. The name Sundro comes from Longobardic origins. It meant a large terrain owned by one person or family.
Let me tell you more about Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti. By the year 1200, the area was named after the Gatta or Gatti family. They resided here. The name Cascina Gatti was confirmed in the 1500s. It appeared on a map as “C de Gatui”.
Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti’s lands were vast. Several other farmhouses popped up around the main area. Cascina Bergamina and Cascina Colombo are two examples. Also, there is Parpagliona. These farmhouses plus Mulino del Tuono formed one unit with Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti. Each farmhouse had its own life. However, they were connected through agricultural activities. Also, festivals drew people from surrounding farms to Cascina Gatti.
Did you know that Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti became an independent municipality? This happened before Italy was unified. Sesto was divided into smaller municipalities including Cascina Gatti.
Look around at Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti. It expanded based on its production needs. The layout is complex. There are many buildings of different types. Courtyards are linked by covered passages. Each courtyard was named after the tenant family. Each was dedicated to a patron saint. Images of these saints were painted on the courtyard walls. Some still survive today at Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti.
The buildings were constructed using local materials. Bricks, wooden beams and stones were used. The androni and parts of the courtyards are made of cobblestone. External staircases are stone with wooden railings. The ceilings are wooden. Some vaults exist. Roofs are covered with tiles. Tall brick pillars support the roofs at Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti. Sheds were used for haymaking. They extend into the courtyards.
In the past, the importance of cascine was measured. It was measured by the number of “arms”. It also depended on the size of cultivated land. Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti hosted a school in the parish. This shows its importance.
It is believed that Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti may have housed a convent. It is hard to reconstruct the hamlet’s history due to limited documents. In the 1300s, monks reclaimed the land here. They used a rare agricultural technique called “marcita”. This was possible due to many springs. This technique helped drain waterlogged land. It allowed farmers to feed livestock fresh grass even in winter. This led to high milk production. In 1903, a dairy cooperative was established.
Until after World War II the surrounding lands were farmed. Farmers at Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti grew various crops. They cultivated wheat and oats first. Then came corn, rapeseed and potatoes. Silkworm breeding was also common. Mulberry trees marked the fields. Silkworms fed on their leaves. Silk mills were active in Sesto until the early 1900s.
Today the silk mills are gone. Stables are now warehouses. They were abandoned when livestock farming declined. The area is undergoing transformation with new houses and commercial spaces. The old church square is being redeveloped. Cultivated fields have almost disappeared. The area is part of a larger plan. It includes a large green area and residential buildings. Parco Rurale Cascina Gatti is a reminder of the past. It shows how agriculture shaped this area.