The term “Stazzo”, borrowed directly from the Latin stazio (station), refers to the house as well as the site where it is situated. As we know them today, they are the outcome of a three-century old evolution walking hand in hand with the upgrade of agro-pastoral production techniques and the subsequent economic growth. The location of the house did not meet sheer aesthetic standards but was the result of a careful analysis of the territory. Usually they would avoid shadowy valley lines, unfit for agriculture and crossed by overflowing streams. Likewise, they would also avoid the tops of the highest mountains far too exposed to the north-westerly and westerly winds. The most common house typology usually featured a one-room, rectangular plan, thick walls consisting of irregular granite blocks (petra scapula) or solids measuring 50 cm. (cornerstones). Air and light were ensured exclusively by the entrance door, thus reducing as much as possible the dispersion of heat to the exterior. The double-pitch roof with tiles resting directly on beams, was often made from the wood of juniper trees, while the first examples of floor.
Productive life did not reflect a closed model but alongside the adjacent Stazzi, it constituted the “Cussogghja”: a geographic, social system grounded on mutual help. On occasion of major deadlines such as seed-time, vintage and threshing-time, the people living in the nearby Stazzi would gather to actively collaborate, a practice known by the name of “Maniglia”. This was a tacit, unquestionable agreement according to which everybody was supposed to return the help received.