The group of homes that make up a town is known as a hamlet . The concept usually refers to a small complex, made up of a few houses . For example: “I hope we find a place to eat in the next hamlet,” “My grandfather grew up in a hamlet where there was no drinking water or electricity,” “Half a century ago, this city was just a hamlet.”
The notion has different specific meanings depending on the country. In Chile , a rural entity that has less than 301 inhabitants and has three or more houses that are located close to each other is called a hamlet.
The hamlets or cortijadas are, in Spanish territory, small groups of rural homes. These population centers developed in the 18th and 19th centuries in the middle of regions dedicated to livestock or agricultural exploitation.
Also in Spain, a typical construction in rural areas found in the north of the country is called a hamlet. These are stone houses in which the ground floor was used for agricultural infrastructure (such as stables or barns), while the upper floor was used for housing.
Due to these characteristics, the hamlets usually had a large area. In the same construction the animals were sheltered, the crops were gathered and the entire family group lived.
It can be said that these hamlets were farm houses or labor houses . This is the name given to the buildings that farmers used as homes and to store their tools and livestock.
The construction of the farmhouse is most typical in the Basque Country, which in other places in northern Spain is also known as a “casona”.
Made of stone and even reaching 15 meters in height. These are other hallmarks of this type of construction, which has a gabled roof, which has an open portico and which was historically inherited by the first-born of the family.
Many people are interested in knowing the most historically relevant hamlets of the aforementioned Basque Country. In that case, you should know that some of the most recommended are the following:
-Caserío Uribarren, which is located in Bedoña, specifically in the municipality of Arrasate. It has its origins in the 18th century and, above all, its spectacular stately façade is surprising.
-Gomiztegi Farmhouse, which can be visited in Arantzazu (Oñati). It has great historical value and serves as a School for Shepherds.
To both we should add other relevant hamlets such as Agirrezubiaga, in Berezao, or Mietza, in Arrasate.
In the same way, we must not overlook the existence of an important brand within the food sector in Spain that responds to the name “El Caserío”. It became popular mainly for its cheeses and has its origins in the 1930s when its founder, Pedro Montañés de Vilallonga, began to make a processed cheese from the artisanal cheese that was made on some livestock farms in Menorca.