This is a distortion of the ancient word “usina” meaning factory.

The castle of Usigni, in the municipality of Poggiodomo, was built on a rocky crag overlooking the Tissino valley below.

The settlement consists mainly of two or three floored buildings which suit the uneven ground and the pitch of the roofs follow the direction of the slope of the land and is characterised by a domineering 17th century addition of a different shape compared with the previously existing village.

The church of San Salvatore and the palace of Poli (with additional parts constructed later that spoilt the primitive relationship) do not simply stand out above the ordinary buildings as is often found in these little towns, but they represent a part of the settlement that was linked to the presence of Cardinal Poli, almost as if to make his home town more noble.

The town centre thins out as it stretches uphill and consists mainly of cowsheds and hay lofts with a recurrent pattern: the haylofts lie above the cowsheds overlooking spaces where it was possible to manoeuvre the carts. The cowsheds below were serviced by their own roads.