Rampinzeri Farm of Lord De Stefani

[scraig32]

I was super excited to stumble across this information today! My 4x great grandfather was Knight Giuseppe De Stefani and here is information about the family farm and how it operated. The attached information is in English, translated by someone from Italian. Would anyone be willing to read the attached info and answer some questions about feudalism and how the farm would have worked. I think I understand somewhat but would love to pose a few questions to anyone who is willing to lend some assistance.

In particular, I have the following questions:
1. (1st paragraph)- when they say the land was divided into different property and then lists Scarlatti, Scalabrino, Pezzenti, Surio, Finestrelle, Mirlocco, Gesu-Maria-Giuseppe, Quararo, Villa Fata- are these name so families or of villages/towns?

2. (1st paragraph) - when the refer to the “trappers” machine for pressing- does anyone know if this is for pressing olives into oil?

3. (Paragraph 4) when they refer to “colonia” system - is this the feudal system? If I understand correctly, each sharecropper was give 15-20 hectares of land with a building, etc. The land was cultivated by the sharecropper and the land owner (DeStefani) was given half.

Thank you thank you for your time!!!! Suzanne

https://www.legambienteriserve.it/grott ... tagliavia/

[joetucciarone]

Rampinzeri appears to be a neighborhood about a mile east of Santa Ninfa in the Province of Trapani:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rampi ... d12.913479

Here's a closeup of the same area on an 1862-1876 map:

https://maps.arcanum.com/en/map/europe- ... Hr4fqtJbhk

If you look carefully in the center, you can see the name "Scalabrina" on the old map. Just to the right of that is what looks like "Pezzento." A little ways above and left of Scalabrina is "Re Scarlatta." A little north of Scalabrina is what looks like "La Fata." Near the top of this part of the map is "M Fenestrelle." These are all names in your list.

Just to give you a sense of scale on this part of the old map, Scalabrina is about 2 miles east of Santa Ninfa ("S Ninfa" on the old map).

[mmogno]

2) https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/trappeto/

[scraig32]

Rampinzeri appears to be a neighborhood about a mile east of Santa Ninfa in the Province of Trapani:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rampi ... d12.913479

Here's a closeup of the same area on an 1862-1876 map:

https://maps.arcanum.com/en/map/europe- ... Hr4fqtJbhk

If you look carefully in the center, you can see the name "Scalabrina" on the old map. Just to the right of that is what looks like "Pezzento." A little ways above and left of Scalabrina is "Re Scarlatta." A little north of Scalabrina is what looks like "La Fata." Near the top of this part of the map is "M Fenestrelle." These are all names in your list.

Just to give you a sense of scale on this part of the old map, Scalabrina is about 2 miles east of Santa Ninfa ("S Ninfa" on the old map).

Thank you so much!! I would never have figured this out on my own. This map is great!!! So would you categorize these places as towns, neighborhoods, regions, etc…..? Wow, thank you!

[scraig32]

2) https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/trappeto/

Thank you so much!!!

[scraig32]

I was super excited to stumble across this information today! My 4x great grandfather was Knight Giuseppe De Stefani and here is information about the family farm and how it operated. The attached information is in English, translated by someone from Italian. Would anyone be willing to read the attached info and answer some questions about feudalism and how the farm would have worked. I think I understand somewhat but would love to pose a few questions to anyone who is willing to lend some assistance.

In particular, I have the following questions:
1. (1st paragraph)- when they say the land was divided into different property and then lists Scarlatti, Scalabrino, Pezzenti, Surio, Finestrelle, Mirlocco, Gesu-Maria-Giuseppe, Quararo, Villa Fata- are these name so families or of villages/towns?

2. (1st paragraph) - when the refer to the “trappers” machine for pressing- does anyone know if this is for pressing olives into oil?

3. (Paragraph 4) when they refer to “colonia” system - is this the feudal system? If I understand correctly, each sharecropper was give 15-20 hectares of land with a building, etc. The land was cultivated by the sharecropper and the land owner (DeStefani) was given half.

I found this definition of feudalism vs. manorism to be very interesting in relation to the farm at Rampirenzi. I am wondering if this “colonia” system that is being referred to is something like manorism.

https://www.differencebetween.com/diffe ... norialism/

Thank you thank you for your time!!!! Suzanne

https://www.legambienteriserve.it/grott ... tagliavia/

[joetucciarone]

You're right - this map is a treasure. From what I've seen, I believe the names in small type are homesteads or neighborhoods that have been named for landholding families. I've been studying this map for months, and I'm almost positive two of the prefixes are abbreviations. For example, I'm almost certain the "Re" in "Re Scarlatta" is an abbreviation for "regione," or "region" in English. So, "Re Scarlatta" might be a region or neighborhood that was named after the landowner whose surname was Scarlatta.

In addition, the prefix "Mass" or "Mas" appears on many names on the peninsula. The following section of the map is roughly halfway between Rome and Naples, and is centered on the name "Mass. Mallozzi" just east of Traetto:

https://maps.arcanum.com/en/map/europe- ... Hr4fqtJbhk

One of my ancestors was a Mallozzi from Traetto. I believe "Mass" and "Mas" are abbreviations for "masseria," which (I think) is Italian for a fortified farmhouse. Also, in Termini-Imerese, which is my ancestral Sicilian hometown, many of the names on the map (like Catanzaro, Arrigo, and Cosimano) are surnames in my family tree:

https://maps.arcanum.com/en/map/europe- ... Hr4fqtJbhk

[scraig32]

I love all this information! It is so very helpful! Thank you thank you. Just to add, on my original post "Villa Fata" i have read was named for a nearby moutain. If you look on your map, La Fata, seems to be a mountain- if I remember topography correctly

I will be using your info for sure!

[joetucciarone]

You might be right. If you open a Google map of the area, and compare it to the old map, the feature labelled "La Fata" on the old map lines up perfectly with the "Riserva naturale integrale Grotta di Santa Ninfa," which appears to be a hilly natural reserve:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Riser ... 12.9134825

[scraig32]

That's awesome! And makes total sense. My family owned the area that is now the Riserva. You've given me much to consider and research. Thank you!

[joetucciarone]

You're very welcome!

[mmogno]

Catasto Borbonico di S. Ninfa

[scraig32]

Oh my goodness! I absolutely love this map! Thank you so much for this treasure!!! I can’t wait to study it. Amazing find!! Thank you