Legal Definitions - casata

A casata is a historical term referring to a dwelling, typically a house, along with a sufficient amount of land specifically intended to support and sustain a single family.

This concept emphasizes a time when a family's livelihood and basic needs were directly tied to the agricultural productivity and resources available on their own property.

• Example 1: Medieval Peasant Homestead

  Imagine a small, self-contained farmstead in 13th-century rural France. It comprises a modest stone cottage, a kitchen garden for vegetables, a small field for growing grain like barley, and a pasture for a few chickens and a goat. This entire property, designed to provide food, shelter, and basic resources for a single peasant family, would be considered a casata.

  This example illustrates a casata because the house and its associated land are specifically configured to meet the subsistence needs of one family, reflecting the historical context of the term.

• Example 2: Roman-Era Rural Estate

  In the Roman Republic, a veteran soldier might be granted a parcel of land in a newly settled territory. This grant would include a simple farmhouse and enough surrounding acreage to cultivate crops like olives or grapes, and to raise a few animals. The expectation was that this property would allow the veteran and his family to live self-sufficiently, producing their own food and resources directly from the land.

  Here, the casata represents a landholding structured to provide economic self-sufficiency for a family unit, a common arrangement in historical land distribution systems.

• Example 3: Feudal Land Grant

  Under a feudal system, a lord might allocate a specific plot of land to a serf or a freeman. This allocation would include a dwelling and enough arable land to grow food for the family, ensuring they could pay their dues to the lord while still sustaining themselves. This type of family-sustaining land unit, encompassing both the dwelling and the productive land, aligns with the historical meaning of a casata.

  This scenario demonstrates a casata by showing a property designed to enable a family to derive its primary support and sustenance directly from the land and dwelling provided, often within a larger economic or social structure.