Rendena
(most common name)
(transboundary/brand name)

(local/other name):
• Bruna di Val di Rendena
• Razza di Rendena

The Rendena, a dual-purpose breed, can be traced back to the brachyceros-type cattle of pre-Roman times.

The Rendena originated in Trentino Alto Adige (in the Italian Alps) and is now found in the provinces of:
• Padova
• Trento (also called Trentino)
• Verona
• Vicenza

During the mid-1800s, the Swiss Brown was used to transform the Rendena from a draught/dairy breed into a dairy/beef breed. This almost replaced the Rendena. However, in 1978 there were still 5,000 purebred cattle remaining. Interest revived and a new herdbook was started in 1980. As of 2019, the population is reported to be 6,512.

The Rendena is raised in the traditional system of farms using summer alpine pastures for lactating cows and, in winter, locally produced conserved feeds (rather than brought-in concentrates and silage). This is within a marketing framework based on PDO cheese production. Rendena numbers in Trento have been maintained since 1980; support payments and PDO marketing are also provided.

Cheese is important: 70% of home-produced milk is made into cheese in Italy — 80% of that cheese becomes named Italian varieties. Rendena milk has been found to be superior to Holstein-Friesian milk in respect to coagulation properties.

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-20

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