Probably is coeval to the cave: appeared, in fact, before the other typical construction of this area “a casotta” ("this little house" also one single room, but rectangular, in dry masonry realized with lava stones and, sometime, with cantonal stones roughly squared). “U pagghiaru”, is a very ancient type of Mediterranean habitation of prehistoric derivation: appeared first isolated and soon after, as the habitation unit of the primitive prehistoric village. Our ancestors, Sicani and Siculi, probably began this way their relational life, trying to copy what nature had offered to them with the natural caverns. | |
 The selection of the locality was made in a way that would assure, above all, the stability, in a place naturally protected from the winds, from bad weather and from eventual inundations caused by heavy rains or overflowing torrents and rivers.
Also, generally, they carefully tried to realize the construction over emerging lava banks to avoid a direct contact with the nude earth. Even if created to accommodate all the members of the family, it never lost his characteristic of a simple and unitary mono-local. Today these rudimentary and primitive constructions, put in rare exemplary in the middle of woods or of the sciare of Etna, represent a singular specificity, a cultural and historic value; are a tangible testimony of our peasant civilization but, in reality, are, unfortunately, in a condition of total abandon and of progressive inexorable degrade. |
|  | "U Pagghiaru" is a typical example of primitive, rural architecture, constructed dry, in circular plan with slabs of lava stone, with a covering shaped like a conic cusp, and disposed to concentric circles of a diameter decreasing towards the top.
The construction shown above is still in a good condition and it is nearly adjacent to the state road 284 that goes from Bronte to Randazzo. |  | This typical ancient construction still present in rare exemplary on the slopes of Etna, is situated in the periphery of Bronte, adjacent to the road which takes to the quarter of Sciarotta.
The unknown administrator (or who for him) has conceived in this way recovery, safeguard and the valorization of this precious man made relict. |  |
| In the photo on the right, another example of ancient rural architecture: a "pagghiaru" in sandstone from the Nebrodi mountains (this is on the road which, after the crossroads for Floresta, leads to S. Piero Patti (provincial road 121, at 1,200 meters above sea level. It is called "cùbburu" or "tholos" and, like the others present in the surrounding area, it has recently been restored, cataloged and protected by a fence. It recalls the characteristic circular constructions of the ancient world. It stands out not only for the material with which it is built but also for its spherical and non-conical dome structure. |  |
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The most primitive example of rural architecture that is found in the country areas of the north-east side of Etna (Bronte, Maletto and Randazzo) is a typical construction in dry masonry made of lava stones with a dome-shaped conic roof (“u pagghiaru”).
