History Of Gentile Di Puglia Sheep

The domestication of sheep is believed to have started around 10,000 BCE using wild Asian mouflon in southwest Asia. They were originally domesticated as a source of meat and milk, although sheep never reached the productivity of cattle and pigs, but also became a principal source of wool for textiles. During the Roman era and the Middle Ages, the wool trade played a foremost role in the European economy and sheep retained an important role in local economies of both the developing countries and the western world.
The replacement of the first domesticated sheep by wool sheep may have already started by 4000 BCE.  At the time of the Roman Empire, the best quality wool was that from the ‘Tarentine’ sheep, also known as ‘Greek’ sheep . Roman written sources distinguish sheep producing coarse wool for carpets and fine wool sheep. The best wool sheep originated in south Italy and Greece and were exported to other parts of the Empire. Sheep from Italy, presumably those with fine-wool, were exported to other parts of the Roman empire.

In the late Middle Ages, the Spanish Merino breed developed from the original Roman exports, was developed as producer of high-quality wool and since the 16th century, it was reintroduced through cross breeding into Italian and other European Breeds.

This more recent and documented dispersal of Merino sheep since the 17th century has, as would be expected, created a large Merino component in the Italian Merino-type Sopravissana and Gentile di Puglia. 

Therefore, although Gentile di Puglia are considered a modern breed from the 17th Century, the evidence suggests that they are in-fact descendant from the original Italian merino breed both by local Italian breeding and the reintroduction of the Spanish Merino breed also descendant from the original Italian Merino sheep exported by the Romans.


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The Transhumance

The transhumance was a 200km journey from Foggia in Puglia up to Abruzzo. One of the main routes along the coast (shown in red) would have passed very close to the farm and in fact passes directly behind our new Bistro.

This movement of sheep was not only for the benefit of greener summer pastures in the mountains further north, but also a mandatory movement so that taxes could be collected.

Our Wool

Fun Facts about Sheep

• There are over 1,000 different breeds of sheep!
• Sheep are naturally friendly. They can wag their tails, like dogs, and they form strong bonds with other sheep, goats…and people.
• Sheep are known to self-medicate when they have some illnesses. They instinctively choose and eat specific plants that they know will help them feel better.
• Sheep are intelligent and have a similar IQ to cattle. In fact, they are nearly as clever as pigs and are capable of problem solving.
• Sheep have excellent memories and can remember up to 50 individual sheep and people for years. Hand reared lambs will bond very quickly with their human ‘parents’.
• Sheep are very sociable. They are highly independent from birth and like to be in a group. They are able to communicate different emotions through various vocalisations and will also move their ears to show differing emotions.
• Sheep were considered to be sacred for thousands of years. The Ancient Sumerians (4,000 – 2,000 BCE) immortalised sheep in the form of their gods, as did the Ancient Egyptians (3,200 BCE – 30 AD), who also mummified them when they died.
• A sheep’s fleece will grow for ever. 
• Sheep have excellent peripheral vision. Their large pupils allow them to see almost 360 degrees and they can see behind themselves without turning their heads.
• Sheep lived at the White House. US President Woodrow Wilson kept a flock of sheep at the White House to keep the grass trimmed.
• Sheep can help with biodiversity. They are very selective grazers and will target flowering plants that can have a negative impact on species diversity. This is particularly important for grasslands, which are habitats for many types of flora and fauna, including beetles, butterflies and birds. These grasslands can be maintained and helped naturally through selective grazing.
• Sheep’s wool has many wonderful benefits. It is resistant to dust mites and the build-up of micro bacteria, which makes it naturally hypoallergenic and also more hygienic than many other fibres. It is temperature regulating and breathable, keeping you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s not. It is also naturally fire retardant. Sheep’s wool is a natural fibre and so it is sustainable and will biodegrade naturally over time, so it’s better for the environment than synthetic fibres.