Motta Camastra and Motta d'Affermo in Messina, Sicily; Mottafollone in Cosenza province; Motta Montecorvino in Foggia; and Motta Baluffi in Cremona are all geographic names derived from the term motta, which means "fortified fortress." The mottis were large circular towers that served as fortified residences for the local governors. They were built between 1495 and 1538 by the Spanish in southern Italy to suppress opposition to their rule. In Italian cuisine, a motta is any heavy piece of meat, especially when used as a cooking term meaning "roasted". Although traditionally roasted over a fire, today it may also be cooked under a broiler or in an oven. A motta should be cut into small pieces for easy eating. The word motta comes from Latin magnus, meaning "great", and otium, meaning "leisure". Thus, a motta is a large piece of meat used for leisurely meals. The first written record of motta camastra appears in a document dated 1503 describing how some of these towers were donated to the church in exchange for other property. Later on, during the French occupation of Sicily (1713-1734), the royal army officer Don Gaetano Caamaño y Oropesa was appointed governor of Messina. He is known for having rebuilt several mottis there including one that now serves as a parish church.