The baglio was built during the 1800s, when cereal farming and cattle breeding were prevalent. It was used to manage the fief of Strafalcello. It was part of the state of Tursi, which included several fiefs (extending 851 salme, or 2,851 hectares) that were originally part of the barony of Baida. Baglio Strafalcello, like the other beams, stood in a dominant position over the fief, from where it was possible not only to better control the land, but also the communication routes of the surrounding territory.

The entire structure was protected by numerous loopholes from which, in the event of an attack by thugs, one could fire. The masonry is in stone, while the corner parts of the walls, lintels and jambs are in chiselled stone or tuff ashlars. The paving of the courtyards, partly consisting of ‘abbalatatu’, with regular stone slabs, is well cared for.

The water supply was ensured by a large spring upstream from the baglio. A canalization channeled the water to the various rooms, as well as to an external fountain with a large trough, commissioned by Luigi Messina himself and properly restored in 1966.