Masserie: Manor farms in Sicily. Typological characters, preservation and reuse

Abstract

The Sicilian land tenure was always characterized by the presence of latifundium. Such a land exploitation intimately influenced not only the farming techniques but also the population identity and farms’ typology. The Sicilian (and south-Italian) common typological form of rural estate is the masseria. More particularly, it is a large fortified farm built to control and manage a vast land-property, the old fiefdoms. This work focuses on the cultural and economic background, taking motion from the ancient feudality, that led to the construction and development of the masserie in Sicily. The typological characters, that deeply reflect the rural location and society, will be discussed: typologies, architectural configuration, constructive technologies and traditional materials. Finally, we will analyze how those traditional constructions may be re-functionalized and re-used.