The History of the Bracco Italiano

The Bracco Italiano originated in Italy, and there are writings concerning the breed that date back to the 4th and 5th centuries BC. It is believed to be a cross between a Segugio Italiano and the Asiatic Mastiff. There are two variations of the breed. The first originated in Piedmont, and was for that reason known as the Piedmontese Pointer. The other originated in Lombardy, and was known as the Lombard Pointer (see map below). The Bracco from Piedmont is lighter in color and in build, probably due to the mountainous terrain there. The Lombard Pointer is dark in color and thicker in body. For many years they have been viewed as a single breed. The breed was well established by the Middle Ages. The Bracco thrived during the Renaissance and was bred by both the Medici and Gonzaga families. They were sought out by the aristocracy and used to hunt feathered game.

At the end of the 1800s and the early 1900s the breed nearly became extinct. It was saved primarily by the efforts of the Italian breeder Ferdinando Delor de Ferrabouc. The Italian standard for the breed was released in 1949. It came to England in 1988. It is practically unheard of by most in the United States. Though it has a small, but staunch, group of supporters there.

There is only one other breed of Italian versatile gundog. The Italian Spinone originated at the same time and place as the Bracco, but they are distinctly different breeds. It is a common mistake to think that the Bracco is just a short-haired Spinone. A common ancestor is possible between the two breeds- a Celtic type hound that is a believed predecessor of the Spinone as well as the Segugio Italiano (which in turn is believed to be foundation for the Bracco breed).