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History of the breed
The Cane (say like Kane) Corso comes originally from Sicily (Italy). He belongs to the group of the Molossian. The other names are: Branchiero Siciliano and Cane di Macellaio. The last one lived not on the mainland but on the island Sicily. The Cane Corso is one of the two breeds who straight be descended from the Roman Molossian who lived a very long time ago. The Molossian from then gave two very different breeds. One dog was very strong and becomes final the Mastino Napoletano. The other one was shorter, lighter and more athletic, known for his speed and faithfulness and that becomes the now known Cane Corso. In de Middle Ages was the dog already known. So has I.Folengo round 1200 written about him in his "Maccheronee" and later, in 1591, wrote E. the Valvasone about the dog in his poem "La Caccia."
The Originally dog, Cane di Maellaio, was herding cattle to the butcher and took probable part at dog fightings. The Cane Corso have sparsed later on over middle and south Italy. The first and importance use was the hunting, and then particular the hunt for wild boars. Through his strength, courage and perseverance, he was extremely suited for such work. This can you see on a painting from F.Hackert, the court painter of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon. On the royal estate you can see a kind of amphitheatre, where some Cane Corso's are hold back of there companions before let loose on wild boars. All round the place ,the guest of the king where looking from their carriages. Through this way the dog found a home by the Italian farmers. There was he used for herding cattle and wild pigs who where breeded in the wild those days. They where also the companions of the rural policeman.. When the natural and traditional uses became fewer, the Cane Corso falls into decay. The wild boar disappeared, cattle and pigs where hold at stables and there where less ruffians and rascals. The surrounding of the Cane Corso was changed. If he was not preserved in the country site of Campania, Molisse, Puglia and Basilicata, a very useful and old breed would be extended.
The Italian professor G. Bonatie had perform an investigation to the Molossian, and then mainly to the far origin and distribution through migration. In the 70's, he noticed that there where some specimen left of the Cane Corso, through which it was possible to compose a selection program. Like that was the wearisome purification, from generation to generation, started. The Cane Corso can now be seen as out of danger, but the breed needs conscientiousness and attentive care from breeders and buyers. It's important that we are always able to succeed to breed puppies which are even more homogeneous.
The Ente Nazionale della Cinofolia Italiana, or the ENCI has followed all of this work and with the help of experts acquired the outcome. The breed is now also recognized (November 1996), but it is a provisional recognition, (last 10 years), (also through the FCI). In the Netherlands we have the Cane Corso Club (CCCN), witch is officially recognized in January 2000 by the Dutch Kennel club (Raad van Beheer). There where a number of Cane Corso lovers united in the SACC (the official breed kennel in Italy) but they are suspended and no longer recognized by the ENCI. They lost there admission.