Once discovered the casoni, there will no longer be a need to go to the other side of the world. Yes, because it is enough to visit one to make a journey, in other times, those in which the casoni were the fishermen's houses, their most intimate spaces. But those of Marano have something that differentiates them from all the others and that still makes them unique places, of immense charm, where you can only access certain conditions, such as never showing up empty-handed, always giving yourself and forget about the clock. In short, a bit like between the pages of The old Man and the Sea.

The casoni yesterday

From Marano and Lignano it takes just a few minutes (by boat) to find yourself completely catapulted into another world, totally unexpected: it is that of the Marano lagoon huts, real stilts built with natural materials such as tamarisk wood, straw and marsh reeds, which for years have been the support points of fishermen during fishing. "In autumn, when there is the eel season, or in spring, when there is that of the sea bream". In fact, most of these structures are located right near the sea outlets, where there are more fish. In the past, however, when the boats were only rowing, the fishermen could not go home every night, so they stopped to sleep there, usually from Monday to Saturday. Thus the casoni became their shelters, their most intimate spaces, where they also spent many days alone. Here everything talks about them: "I did everything you see with my hands, vine by vine," Roberto tells us, a casonero. “They were once much smaller, then they have been expanded. There was only one door, facing west, since winds like the bora come from the east. There were no floors, but bunk beds at the edges and the fire was made directly on the ground: it was the casone itself, with its own shape, that acted as a hood, so that the smoke came out from above, from a net " . In this way the reeds remained dry and also contrasted the strong humidity. Someone came directly here to get the fish, but most of it was sold by the fishermen themselves in Marano with the burcello: "It was a small boat towed with oars and perforated, that is, with holes through which the water penetrated which allowed to fresh fish on the way . Then things changed with the advent of the motor boat, which changed the destination of use of the casoni: it was finally possible to go home and even take the nets, so it was no longer necessary to stop and sleep there. But this did not mean they could be abandoned. In reality, it is a controversial relationship: many, especially the elderly, have anxiously awaited the advent of the engine, because it meant being able to return home, comfort, warmth, family. "The life of the Casoneri was not easy: it was damp, we often only ate polenta for days and days". For this reason, pellagra had also spread, as well as other diseases, so much so that, studying their conditions of misery, some researchers wondered: how do Maranese fishermen still be alive? Yet, this has not prevented the Casoneri from bonding with these places in a profound, sanguine, much more affective way. Often it was the children who restructured them, not leaving them to neglect and abandonment, aware of the paternal repulsion, but also of the existence of an indissoluble bond, perhaps because it was transmitted by blood. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the casoni have been handed down from father to son since their existence.

The casoni today

The casoni are present in all the lagoon areas of the northern Adriatic for the same reasons, that is, as fishermen's homes until the 1950s. Therefore, they are also found in nearby Grado, as well as in Caorle or Venice. But what today makes those of Marano unique, where there are just over forty of them left, is the fact that they are state-owned, that is, owned by the Municipality, both the structure itself and the ground on which they are located. "As for the Maranese casoni", explains Nico Pavan, owner of three boats, "there is no piece of paper that certifies ownership; it is all based on verbal agreements, on speech . There is therefore a sort of tacit consent to use, which is not questioned first of all by the Maranese themselves, who have a deep respect for these buildings, with which they strongly identify as part of their own history and culture. The only recognized membership is the family one, in fact the casoni, since they exist, have been handed down from father to son, usually fishermen or hunters. In Grado or Venice, on the other hand, they are private, so everyone did what they wanted with them: in most cases they were used for tourism, with restaurants, hotels and more, even modifying the original materials. In Marano, on the other hand, absolutely not: you will never find a restaurant or other commercial activity in a Marano casone, but only still intimate, daily, personal spaces: in short, houses. "Otherwise you know how many big houses with the Jacuzzi there would be." Therefore, since there is no form of business, «today people come here to party with friends or to be with family, says Roberto. For this reason, there is only one way to access: being able to get invited. It is better if you show up with a bottle of red wine in one hand and a bottle of white in the other. Once inside a casone, never dare to call her to anyone and do not rush, do not look at the clock, they could be offended: enjoy the time, which is what characterizes these places in the first place. If, on the other hand, you have not managed to get invited, or you are not lucky enough to have a friend with the casone, you can turn to those who have boats and can intercede for you. So do Stefano and Lilli of Somewheretours who will take you to their casoneri friends, like Roberto; o Geremia Navigazione by Adriano Zentilin, who has been a fisherman for years and organizes boat trips to his casone, even for schools. "It is also a very interesting trip from an educational point of view: let's make a fire, eat together and in the meantime let's talk about what life was like in the past". Or, again, Nico, who has three boats, the Niña, the Pinta and the largest, the Santa María boat with kitchen on board, with which he organizes trips to the lagoon, with a stop in his family hut, where the spaghetti and (at least) a bottle of wine. It also organizes fishing trips or photo shoots of migrating birds (think that more than 300 different species have been sighted here). “It was my father who wanted to fix the family house so that he could take us there. My grandfather, in fact, like many others who had lived there, was repulsed. I remember when we started the renovations he told us: make do, do what you like, I don't want to know anything. But then in reality he always came to eat and drink with us .

The casoni tomorrow

However, there is a price to pay for this immense charm that the casoni of Marano still retain. In fact, the other side of the coin is that these structures, which date back to the 1600s, need continuous maintenance, so much so that some are burned, others are in a state of neglect. And having no income or economic advantage, those who invest to fix the casone do so only and exclusively at their own expense, for love and pride, for the family. And think that it takes between 5 and 10 thousand euros a year to keep a big house in good condition. "But it was fine with us", Nico explains, "until the region started wanting to regulate something that has always gone on in this way for centuries." And so precisely in the last period, they are trying to put rules on something that has never been regularized. "But the casoni have nothing to do with bureaucracy, here it's all manual, bloody." With these new measures, it is not known what will happen. What is certain, Adriano tells us, is that the casoni will never cease to be shelters, support and rescue points. «If one is in difficulty, he will always have the right to get off and be based in a casone. And we fishermen will always have the duty to welcome him and help him . Also because you can only continue to arrive by sea, via the lagoon. And remember, preferably with a bottle of wine in hand.