Farmsteads are agglomerations of buildings enclosed within large agricultural land. In the past they were symbols of Italian agricultural life; to date, although present especially in regions such as Lombardy and Tuscany, and still symbols of agricultural life, they are used mostly as a location for major events or as tourist meeting points. Some of them have become riding schools, other educational farms, and others are even beautiful restaurants.
The most beautiful farmsteads in Lombardy
The farmstead, also known as farmhouse, is one of the oldest buildings in the Italian agricultural tradition. Their presence is especially widespread in the Lombard and Emilia Plains, but are also a common view within the Tuscan territory. The farmsteads in Lombardy are more than 90 thousand, of which more than 35 thousand unfortunately in disuse. These are buildings of enormous cultural and historical value, a real patrimony that tells the modern populations a lot of the true history of Italian agriculture. Of course, among all the existing farms, there are some that deserve a visit more than others. Today here we can discover them together.
What is a farmstead like?
A farmstead is a building or a conglomerate of buildings located within an agricultural land. The farmstead was the beating heart of the field, because it was here that the farm workers lived with their families and where they live still today in the case of inhabited farms. Apart from the house, the farmstead includes stables, barns, tool huts, animal enclosures and much more. Usually the farmstead is situated inside a farm of at least 40-50 hectares. In the past, some large farms also contained buildings such as a mill or a church. The farms, according to their structure, can be “closed court” or “open court”, in the first case they form an internal courtyard, in the second case they are a group of buildings close but not attached to each other, forming small meeting places but not real internal courtyards.
The most beautiful farmsteads in Lombardy: which are they?
But which are the most beautiful farmhouses in Lombardy, che è possibile tutt’oggi visitare? Ecco alcuni nomi:
- Cascina La Bandeggiata: a farmhouse of the 18th century that rises near Valleambrosia di Rozzano and which is now also a splendid riding school
- Cascina Farisengo: located near Cremona is a classic Lombard farmhouse, characterized by typical architectures of the 16th century and wide green spaces. Today it is also a beautiful restaurant.
- Cascina Corte dei Gelsi: the farmhouse Corte dei Gelsi is located on the Oltrepò Pavese, near the town of Olive Gessi, and dates back to 1900 and has been the subject of a recent renovation work.
farmsteads and renovations
In Lombardy , as we have already said, there are countless farms. But only a few of them are preserved in good condition. Many are abandoned or, if partially used, have been kept alive without any real maintenance interventions to the structures. The farmsteads are under the jurisdiction of the municipality that hosts them and, to date, represent one of the main topics of discussion for those responsible for the protection of old properties.
Over the years, special forms of financing have been allocated to the restructuring and refurbishment of the oldest farmhouses in the various regions of Italy and especially in Lombardy.
