A cluster of abandoned, partly ruined rural dwellings shared characteristically archaic features. Following a discussion of their age, their distinctive cupolas, the thickness and other dimensions of their walls, the construction techniques used as deduced from observation and comparison with present-day techniques, their overall design, all features the houses hold in common, the author gives details that distinguish the four examples he selected. He notes that the apparent complexity of the same general design, when transferred to the urban context, is due to lack of space and the irregular shape of city blocks. -- AATA