In Italy, cascina a corte (Italian: [kaʃˈʃiːna a kˈkorte]; plural: cascine a corte),[1] more simply known as cascina (Piedmontese: cassin-a, pronounced [/kaˈsiŋa/]),[2] refers to a type of rural building traditional of the Po Valley, especially of Lombardy and of some areas of Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna.[3]
Also known as cascine lombarde or just cascine, these buildings are reported in the Po Valley at least since the 16th century,[4] even though they became common in the 18th and 19th centuries. In particular, during the Napoleonic era, a number of religious buildings were confiscated and transformed into cascine.[5]