From a Tuscan Hillside: Chianina Cattle

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Chianina Cattle

A Noble Bovine Breed

Whenever I glimpsed the Chianina cattle, indigenous to central Italy, in old photos, occasionally at country fairs and rarely at pasture, I was always struck by their massive yet elegant build. A quick search on internet reveals that they are in fact the largest cattle breed in the world. The average Chianina cow stands 150-160 cm at the withers and weighs 800-1,000 kg, while the bull measures 160-175 cm, weighing 1,150-1,280 kg. Massive.

And elegant: they are near-white, long-legged and have beautifully-shaped heads, large eyes and long lashes which stand out against the white.

It is also amongst the oldest breeds of cattle in the world, probably originating in ancient Roman times. Formerly used as a draught breed, (apparently at one time at Le Ripe there were two 'bovi' or oxen, as they called them), now they are bred almost exclusively for meat. The bistecca alla fiorentina is traditionally theirs.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to visit a nearby farm which breeds Chianina for the market. This was the setting, in the famous conca d'oro or 'golden basin' of Panzano. The day was overcast, but the scene is beautiful nonetheless.

These particular Chianina are very well treated, fed on fresh hay in clean, open stables and external pen; they are apparently allowed to pasture outside too, a rarity in Italy.


Panzano Chianina with manger, hay and spacious open-air stables

The Chianina calves are born darker fawn in colour and a little woolly; these traits change after about 5 months.

4 comments:

AgricolaFebruary 7, 2013 at 10:48 AM
The great bulk of these Chianina is impressive (and commercially advantageous)but when it comes to 'elegance' of shape they don't come within cooie of my similar coloured Charolais, or even my Black Angus!
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AcanthusFebruary 7, 2013 at 2:15 PM
How sweet the calves are with their downy coats! They look soft! Such handsome creatures. Thank you for the great pictures.
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ExplicitFebruary 8, 2013 at 2:51 PM
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ExplicitFebruary 8, 2013 at 7:06 PM
Un cooie? Agricola, how can you besmirch such a noble and historic breed that is as friendly and elegant as the natives of this country?
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Situated on a hillside, Le Ripe in Chianti has an orchard with heritage fruit trees, an organic vegetable garden, a row of 18 olives, wild figs, wild grapes, dozens of lavender bushes, a medieval hortus conclusus,a shrubbery, English roses and drifts of bulbs, all requiring labour and love but giving much pleasure in return.

The farm buildings, once home, stable, sty and byre, now renovated, host our friends and family. The cottage, a former barn, and two apartments in the main building, once stable and stall, are rented to guests who come by the week or longer. For more information on staying at Le Ripe, see our rental website.

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