Meaning of Possidente

[February]

The Family Search Glossary of Professions gives a translation of "proprietor" for the word "possidente". Bing translates it as "landowner". Would possidente be used for someone who owns any property, no matter how small, or only for someone who has a lot of land and other people working for him?

Thanks for any help.

[erudita74]

The Family Search Glossary of Professions gives a translation of "proprietor" for the word "possidente". Bing translates it as "landowner". Would possidente be used for someone who owns any property, no matter how small, or only for someone who has a lot of land and other people working for him?

Thanks for any help.

According to Prof Rudolph M. Bell in his book called Fate, Honor, Family, and Village, a possidente was a landowner who generally owned more than a proprietario and less than a civile

civile was used in the south, mostly between 1860 and 1930 for non-noble large holders who left even the supervision of their estates to others

Erudita

[February]

Thank you, Erudita.

So a civile had a very large holding, a possidente considerable land, and a proprietario some land.

Was the prefix "Don" used for men of property, as those listed, or was it reserved for nobility?

[erudita74]

Thank you, Erudita.

So a civile had a very large holding, a possidente considerable land, and a proprietario some land.

Was the prefix "Don" used for men of property, as those listed, or was it reserved for nobility?

The title Don, for men, and Donna for women, was used for property owners and was not reserved for nobility. The title Don was also used for priests and, of course, over time, for members of organized crime who were in important positions within the organization.

Erudita

[February]

Thank you for the help - it's greatly appreciated.

[erudita74]

Thank you for the help - it's greatly appreciated.

Happy to help.
Erudita