Estates in the Capitanata

The Massaria

Massaria near Ascoli

Estates were divided into two types, the massaria di pecore, which specialised in livestock, and the massaria del campo, which was chiefly devoted to cultivation. But the livestock farms did cultivate land to provide food for humans and fodder for the animals. Likewise, the arable farms kept sheep for milk and oxen for ploughing.

The massaria di pecore appears to have had a larger and more complex farmstead. Structures were more specialised.

Massaria di pecore at Vulgano near Foggia from a map of the tratture (sheepwalks) Click on the image for larger picture

The arable farmstead might be simpler and smaller, but could often house more people. The crops were important both commercially and locally. A passage from a taxation list of 1728 describes the effect of a series of poor harvests in the Capitanata.

Rotating cultivation

Agriculture was managed on a four year cycle after the reforms of 1548:

• 1 year wheat
• 1 year wheat, barley, oats or beans
• 1 year as grazing
• 1 year completely unused

Although the rotation is fairly rapid by pre-industrial standards, grazing sheep fertilised the land sufficiently to produce a good seed/yield ration. A diagram in an eighteenth century document shows how the rotation worked in practice. The text table below gives the scheme for year 1 of the rotation while the graphical tables show the four year cycle. The mezzana was never used for cultivation.