Sopravissana

The Sopravissana is a breed of domestic sheep from the province of Macerata, in the Marche in central Italy.[2][1] The name derives from the area of origin, the comune of Visso in the Monti Sibillini; it was traditionally raised mostly in that area, but flocks ranged into Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria.[1] The Sopravissana derives from the cross-breeding of local ewes with Spanish and Rambouillet Merino rams in the 18th century.[2][3] It is larger than the Vissana breed from the same area.[1]

Sopravissana
Country of originItaly
UseTriple-purpose: meat, milk and wool[1]: 285 
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    66 kg
  • Female:
    50 kg
Height
  • Male:
    70 cm
  • Female:
    60 cm
Wool colourwhite
Face colourwhite

History

The Sopravissana originated in the area of the comuni of Visso, from which the name derives, Castelsantangelo sul Nera and Ussita, in the Monti Sibillini, and was traditionally raised mostly in that area. It derived from the cross-breeding of local Apennine ewes with Spanish Merino French Rambouillet Merino rams in the second half of the 18th century,[2][3] principally on the masserie (estates) of the Piscini and Rosi families.[4]: 195  Flocks under transhumant management ranged into Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria.[1]

The Sopravissana is one of the seventeen autochthonous Italian sheep breeds for which a genealogical herd-book is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.[3] The breed numbered about 1,200,000 in 1960, and 765,000 in 1970; by 1995 the number had fallen to about 6000.[1] In 2013 total numbers recorded for the breed were 5699.[5]

Use

The Sopravissana is a triple-purpose breed, reared for meat, milk and wool. Modern breeding is aimed at improvement of its qualities as a meat breed, and at improving prolificacy by increasing the twinning rate and reducing the parturition interval.[1]: 285 

References
  1. Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594. p. 284–285.
  2. Breed data sheet: Sopravissana/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2017.
  3. Le razze ovine e caprine in Italia (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Ufficio centrale libri genealogici e registri anagrafici razze ovine e caprine. p. 25. Accessed September 2013.
  4. [s.n.] (1987). Ambiente e società pastorale nella montagna maceratese: atti del XX Convegno di studi maceratesi, Ussita, 29-30 settembre 1984 (in Italian). Macerata: Centro di studi storici maceratesi.
  5. Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 29 Sopravissana Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Accessed September 2013.


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