Italian Brown
(most common name in English)

(most common name):
• Bruna Italiana
(transboundary/brand name):
• Brown Swiss
(local/other name):
• Bruna alpina
• Svitto
• Svizzera
local/other name (English):
• Brown Mountain
• Italian Brown Alpine
• North Italian Brown

The Italian Brown initially developed with the importation of the Swiss Brown into Italy beginning in 1861. It became known as the Italian Brown Alpine.

Starting in the 1950s, Brown Mountain cattle were imported from Austria and the focus shifted to milk production. So then the Brown Swiss (USA) was entered into the mix. Now the Italian Brown is known by the transboundary/brand name of Brown Swiss.

There was a Bruna Italiana Vecchio Ceppo (Italian Brown Old Strain) in Italy — the name seems to have been changed to Bruna Originaria (Original Brown) with a herdbook started in 2015. As of 2019, their population is 2,474.

The Italian Brown belongs to the Brown Mountain cattle group.

(Italian) Bruna alpina = Brown Alpine

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-18

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