The fortified farmhouses
The
Matera territory, bordered by the western moors of Puglia, the Lucano valleys
and the Ionian coast, is known as the bread basket of Italy.
The most common rural construction is the masseria or farm-house. Born as
residential structures, productive and autonomous, these farm-houses were
the centre which all economic activities of the region revolved around. They
were extremely varied and articulated structures, with defensive towers and
either a circular or square floor-plan, depending on the historic period.
In addition, these structures had walls surrounding their 
perimeter complete
with patrol paths for guarding the granary, the livestock and the peasants
themselves.
The most common type of fortified structure is the courtyard-farmhouse
(e.g Masseria Torre Spagnola), but there are also the palace-farmhouses (e.g
Masseria
Palazzo di Santo Spirito) and the village-farmhouses (e.g Masseria Castello
di S. Basilio).
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