The first to commission part of the residential complex was Don Proto Massidda, born in Santulussurgiu, who, after marrying a noblewoman from Simala, established his residence in the village and became the founder of the Marmillabranch of the family.
It was his son, Don Francesco, however, who, in the first half of the nineteenth century, was responsible for the construction of the stately home, which overlooks two streets. Furnished with a portal and a pedestrian entrance, it was divided up and sold and today it belongs to various Simala families.
The original residence was surrounded by a large court overlooked by a number of rustic rooms, with a garden and a vast space used as an olive grove and a vegetable garden.
As in all the houses in Marmilla, the walled courtyard was a place of “retreat”, invisible from the outside, where all the activities connected to family life were conducted. The surrounding high wall was unbroken except by the portals.
Alongside the nineteenth-century stately home, one of Don Francesco’s sons built a noble residence with a very large entrance furnished with a terrace, the crown of the arch of which bears the initials of the owner, C.M., that is Carlino Massidda, and 1929, the year it was built.
Don Carlino, a lawyer and notary, was a well-known figure in the area. Locals turned to him for legal cases, deeds and the provisions of wills. At his office, he received both clients like Emilio Lussu, a good friend of his, and Simala college students, with whom he willingly engaged in debate.
