possidente

Possidente comes from the Latin for possessing. Treccani defines it as a person who owns landed property, especially rural, and draws a living mainly from it. The word applies to men and women alike.

As an occupation in an act it marks a family that lived from its property, a step above contadino or bracciale. Treccani speaks of both a small and a large possidente, so look at other records for the size of the holdings. Benestante, a well-off person, is a similar label.