Drawing on the Theresian and Josephian cadastres, the article presents a small rural community in the Goriška Brda. In the second half of the eighteenth century, the fortified village of Šmartno gradually lost the status of a privi-leged settlement and took on a rural character. Based on property inventories and records on village representatives, most of whom took part in compiling the cadastre, the article seeks to determine their social status. Apart from wealthy landowners, the land ownership structure also clearly points to a growing number of leaseholders. Both groups pursued distinct dwelling cultures.