The assimilation of the Cane Corso’s iconographical heritage.  By Michael S. Ertaskiran There, without question, is a huge treasure trove of iconographical evidence that gives us a glance into this type of dogs past. I say “this type of dog” because the modern interpretation of what constitutes a breed is vastly different than what historical parameters might specify. This rich history handed down to us through the manuscript’s of history’s greatest scholars, various statues, figurines, mosaics, engravings, traditions, superstitions, folk lore and the like, seem to be somewhat contested between our breed and the fanciers of the Neapolitan Mastiff. Both lay claim to the same artifacts and call them their own. I believe that both are right, and both are wrong. Clearly there are two defined varieties, the heavy and the light version, in my opinion unfortunately for the fanciers of the mastino, the Cane Corso type is present in far more abundance. This is the phenotype that survived, and thrived in the rural southern Italian country side. The reason he survived is he worked for his dinner. I personally find it perplexing that the mastino ambient would attempt to own BOTH arch-types, particularly when the attributes of the heavy variety are so prized and sought after amongst the mastinari. That, coupled with the fact that no attempt was made to cultivate or incorporate the light version into the parameters of what would eventually be the modern mastino. The mastino ambient extols the virtues of this historic hunter, yet the modern mastino is completely incapable of such tasks. This morphological type is often labeled with the pejorative –underbred. The only nod to the light version can be seen in the original Neapolitan Mastiff standard; with the sub names Cane de Presa and Cane Corso. I believe this is because prior to the 1950/60’s there is no historical nor iconographical reference to the name Neapolitan Mastiff, the only “breed” name that survived in antiquity, and can be proven through time would be Cane Corso. Perhaps, as DR. Paolo Breber speculates in 1973 that the Neapolitan Mastiff is but a very specialized version of the Cane Corso. I believe the term Cane Corso itself to be a form of iconography-it’s literal translation means robust strong dog. It is less a breed name than a description of a type of dog. “In Italy and especially Rome it is said that one is best served by using Cane Corso’s against wild boar and wild bulls” Konrad von Gessner. It is the description of a type of dog you need to do a type of work; work associated with this breeds historical utilizations. Cane Corso is as much a verb as it is a noun. Cradle of domestication  Let us go back in time to Mesopotamia and Nivinah. Undoubtedly the terra cotta dog from the second millennium BC located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art shows characteristics of a more mastino type dog. His dewlap, accentuated bone and overall impression are remarkably similar to the modern Mastino. Curiously though, he does seem to have slightly convergent naso-cranial axis of the skull. The Nivinah terra cotta dog circa 850 BC located in the British museum in London again shows a more mastino type dog. He is huge in relation to the man, and again displays the characteristic dewlap and absence of any perceived agility. In Assyrian bas-reliefs circa 700 depict hunting dogs; while not Corso type clearly they differ from the dogs of Nivinah and Mesopotamia. They have much tighter skin around the neck; they present a much leggier construction with a retracted abdomen. In one scene these dogs are being restrained by their master’s while going to the hunt. In another scene the dogs are in full pursuit after wild stag with spears filling the air. The question remains, were these hunting dogs of a different variety from the dogs of Nivinah or was pressure from man responsible for selectively evolving a dog better suited for hunting. Heir to the Molossian  The oft invoked molossian is claimed by not only the ambient of the Cane Corso and mastino, but also the Mastiff and many bully type breeds. Pick up a book on any number of large working or flock guardian type breeds and invariably there is made mention of the molossian, Roman molossian or some derivative... Highly disputed are the true origins of this enigmatic “breed” They are described by various scholars of the day from long muzzled with a tuft of hair to blunt muzzled, heavy and prognathic. For certain the Etymology (if not the dog) has Greek origins. As it was first Greek scholars who made mention of this molossian dog they attribute his origins to the Molossians of Epirus. (This is now modern day Albania) Alexander the Great’s mother was from Epirus and though disputed, he was thought to have employed war dogs from said region in his campaign’s. From the mighty molossian sprang the Roman Canis Pugnax. Introduced to the Italic mainland via Greek imperialism the molossian provided the genetic raw material necessary for the Romans to develop an improved a war dog of their own. As history illustrates the Romans assimilated what they conquered and improved upon it. This Roman war dog was used as an auxiliary to the legions and as entertainment in the arenas against all manner of animal and or human. To augment the Canis Pugnax abilities, dogs from England were brought back to the Empire. The Romans met the pugnaces Britanniae in battle during their European campaign’s and had come to value their indomitable fighting spirit. These “imports” would be added to the Roman Pugnax. It was said of the pugnaces Britanniae “they were inflamed with the spirit of Mars the god of war” Interestingly enough, many believe the infusion of the dogs from England are responsible for the undershot bite in the Cane Corso, it is also hypothesized that the Britanniae was originally a molossian that had been brought to England by the sea fairing Phoenicians. The Roman procurators cinogiae made the distinction between the heavy and light versions, the pugnaces-those that attacked wild animals and the villatici-those that guarded farms. These are rough characterizations of typologies that translate into the Cane Corso and Neapolitan Mastiff respectively. There should be little doubt that these dogs were the progenitors of Italy’s two native molossians. The blood is surely there, perhaps diluted by foreign defilement, but never the less it is there. Middle ages to the Meridone The fall of the Roman Empire predicated the fall of the Roman war dog. However, this was not the end for this type of dog; he seemingly melted into the Italic landscape like a fig tree in one of Pinelli’s engravings. While no longer the frieri (It was common practice for the Romans to strap buckets of flaming oil to the backs of their war dogs and send them into the enemy’s front lines to disrupt the opposing cavalry, these dogs were called frieri or fire bearer) he did find a home with the Italian country folk. This Roman dog was transformed from warrior to a somewhat more peaceful existence as a farmer, hunter and guardian. His mettle forged on the battlefield and so versatile, would now serve him well in these daunting tasks in the invaluable aid of man. This age is where we find the most interesting evidence of a Cane Corso type dog. A Roman mosaic depicting the wild boar hunt (Villa del Casale III-IV century a.d.., Piazza Armerina) show’s a very Cane Corso like fawn dog. While I will not presume that this would be a direct line of succession to the modern Cane Corso, surely this is dog is more closely related to the Cane Corso than the mastino. He is agile, tight skinned and sinewy, signature characteristics of the Cane Corso. Couple that with the fact that he is on a boar hunt, a traditional utilization of the Cane Corso, a tasked that morpho-functionally is infinitely more suited to the agile Corso, rather than the heavy mastino. After the mastino’s official recognition, the Cane Corso was still employed in this utilization. A miniature by Giovannino de Grassi (1390) shows a light, athletic molossian type dog with a prognathic jaw-an essential characteristic in type for the Cane Corso, even today. The Reggia di Caserta, fountain of Diana (1790) the last two dogs on the left are dogs with cropped ears, retracted abdomen and long, lean musculature.  Neapolitan crèche (XVIII century) Figurine of a fawn Corso like dog with a black mask, again the black mask is an essential characteristic of the Cane Corso. These artifacts that to my eyes are clearly representative of the light version (Cane Corso arch-type)  Somehow this type of dog came to be known as “Cane Corso” as I have stated earlier in this article I feel that Cane Corso is more of an adjective than a breed name. Around the 1100’s this adjective began to be associated with a specific type of dog, the light molossian. This is evidenced in a number of areas; -Giulio Cesare Scaligero (1484-1558) in his translation and commentary in Latin of Aristotle’s Storia degli animali, speaks of large dogs employed in the hunt of bulls and boar (once again historical Cane Corso utilizations) called Alani, Corsi, dogas. -Konrad von Gessner (1516-1564) In Historia Animalium, De Quadrupedibus “there are ferocious dogs in Corsica, brave in chasing and catching any kind of animal. You should prefer the ones with an impressive muzzle, a broad head, upper lips that hang over the lower ones, reddish eyes, dilated nostrils that seem to emit smoke, sharp teeth, heavy neck, and a broad chest; they go forward like lions, with their great feet and enormous toes: their toe nails are tough and curved in such a way that they have a better grip on the ground and fell the prey more violently. With this kind of dog it is easy for the hunters to catch and kill the game. In Italy, and above all Rome it is said that the Corsi (curshund) are used against wild boar and wild bulls. The molosso is huge and a great biter like the Corso. I believe he is considered a biter not because he attacks recklessly, but because he has such an energetic grip and never wants to let go. Besides, I know that when a Corso has his teeth in a boar or bull he can’t be separated him without strong interference from the hunter on his jaws.” This snippet is important because it narrates a distinction between the Mastino and the Corso. The Mastino is effective at delivering the killing blow while the Corso is also effective in the chase. These are just a few examples. The records that immortalize the Cane Corso in the middle ages is too abundant to cite here, they include Tito Giovanni Scandiano, Giambattista Marino, Niccolo Macchiavelli The common denominator in these missives is that the Cane Corso is mentioned by name, and he is described performing the very task’s that proved to be his salvation.   Chief among historians during this period with respect to representing the Cane Corso and his everyday endeavors would be Bartolomeo Pinelli. He must have had a deep affection to this type of dog because he included them in numerous engravings whether the dog was the primary subject matter or just a prop included to dress up the scene. What I find extremely interesting is that the works of DR Flavio Bruno read like a narrative of Pinelli’s depictions. Dr Bruno is a veterinarian from Santa Croce Di Magliano who was an essential contributor to the recovery of the breed in the 1980’s and has authored many books on the Cane Corso and his historical and socio-economic utilizations in the rural southern Italian countryside. Dr Bruno’s descriptions come from firsthand experience and from the accounts of those people who actually use/used the Cane Corso on the farm or hunt. Those who treasured and jealously guarded this breed and kept the flame lit from generation to generation. The renderings match the peasant farmer’s accounts starkly, there is no mistake-these dogs from the days of Pinelli and the dogs of the meridone whose exploits are detailed in the tomes of Flavio Bruno are one in the same. You need look no further than Pinelli’s engraving that depicts two Corso’s locked in combat. The scene depicted in the sketch has been relived countless times in the meridone, here is DR Bruno’s description of a battle between the two contenders “The two combatants reared up on their hind legs, chest against chest, their paws locked in a wrestler’s embrace, one on the other’s shoulders They tried to knock each other to the ground and bite one another’s neck. One dog’s bites would be parried by the other’s teeth who, in turn, was attempting the same maneuver, and then a rapid succession of bites, pushes, losses of balance, and rapid recoveries would finally lead to the victory of the stronger dog”. One can conclude that in some way DR Bruno is the literal interpreter for Pinelli, without trying, he narrates the artist rendering’s. In doing so he validates the historical reality of the Cane Corso. Once again we will we call upon Pinelli’s engravings to illustrate the breed’s versatility. This depiction pits the Cane Corso against an enraged bull; he is a typical Cane Corso, cropped and docked biting the bull’s ear to incapacitate it. It is no coincidence that these works, generations apart coincide so closely with the breeds modern utilizations, that is because they are the same dog, as it was and as it is now-performing the same tasks it has for centuries. Further deepening of the subject matter at hand we have “Majolic” by Francesco Antonio Saverio, in this painting we have a white Cane Corso type dog this time biting the ear of a cow. It is important to note that the dog in the painting is white, while no longer a sought after color in the breed, it is a historical fact that at one time this was not an uncommon color, and actually still exist in the breed. Aside from the color this molossians morphology is distinctly Cane Corso.  The last bastion, the remnants of the Cane Corso I have been in the company of important figures associated with the Neapolitan Mastiff here in the U.S., and been told that the Cane Corso is a peasant’s dog. I realize that this was meant as a slight; however, I did not take it as such. There is no doubt this breed’s salvation was the peasant farmer of southern Italy. Without his employment the Cane Coro’s fate would have been the same as Rome- once proud, but now nothing more than a faded memory. What made him so valued was his diverse array of talents. Foremost was his tenacious character, but what set him apart from the mastino was his agility and athleticism. With the golden age of the Cane Corso behind him brought on by the advent of modern farming equipment, the devastating impact of war, and the migration north of a large part of the work force due in part to the industrial growth of Northern Italy. With the number of farms diminishing the breed retreated further into the hinterland of the Italian south. With only remnants left he could be found scattered in only the most remote parts of the meridone, far off the beaten path. These peasant farmers still valued his talents and still employed him in the traditional ways. They leave their own evidences, such as a family’s coat of arms, we are lucky enough to have some valuable photos, ceramics and accessories of the Cane Corso such as the vraccale collar, used in the war with the wolf. There are also less tangible evidences such as antidotes, proverbs, customs and sayings that intertwine with this breed and his place in the meridone.  From Sicily "A cani corsi nun ci diri’ngirri", meaning that "don’t incite one who is already irascible" and "Oggi haiu vistu lu munni alla riversu ca lu liebru assicutava u cani corsu" or "today I saw the world upside down; a hare was chasing a Cane Corso". Paolo Breber tells us “there is a saying, he is ugly like a Cane Corso” Giovanni Verga, in Malavoglia (Bad Will) (1881), says, "He bites worse than a cane Corso;" Tommaseo, in his dictionary, offers the metaphor, "can corso, a man of proud aspect and attitude."     Cane Corso from the 1950’s Post modern There is no disputing the existence of a mastino type dog, nor can we begrudge him the share of iconographical heritage that is rightfully his. I merely wish to point out that the mastino does not have the market cornered with respect to these artifacts. There is clearly and indisputably two arch-types, the heavy version and the light, the mastinari cannot lay claim to both, just as we the Cane Corso ambient cannot claim the terra cotta dog from Mesopotamia or the heavy mastiff from Corsica. Lucio Giunio Mederato Columella in his work De Re Rustica narrates a description of the ancient mastino “because a black dog has a more terrifying appearance; and during the day, a prowler can see him and be frightened by his appearance. When night falls, the dog, lost in the shadows, can attack without being seen. The head is so massive that it seems to be the most important part of the body. The ears fall toward the front, the brilliant penetrating eyes are black or gray, the chest is deep and hairy, the shoulder wide, the lags thick, the tail short, the hind legs powerful, the toenails strong and great. His temperament must be neither too gentle nor too ferocious and cruel; whereas the first would make him apt to welcome a thief, the second would make him predisposed to attack the people of the house. He should be of solomn and not merry character and must always react with rage against all intruders. Above all, these dogs not only must demonstrate vigilance in guarding without making a mistake but must be guarding out of diligence and a questioning nature rather than because they are fearful. For the first type will give the warning only when they are sure something bad is happening, and the second type will get excited about every little noise or false suspect. It does not matter that house guard dogs have heavy bodies and are not swift of foot. They are meant to carry out their work from close quarters and do not need to run far. In fact, these dogs want to stay behind closed walls or at the house without even trying to run off. They do their work very well by their astute sense of smell which informs them who is coming, and they warn with their bark whoever is approaching not to come near. And if the person persist in approaching, they violently attack. Indeed the most important quality in this dogs is that they are guard dogs and do not permit an attack. The second quality is that, if provoked, they will defend and fight with vigor and tenacity.” When reading the first lines I thought perhaps Columella was describing our Corso, “The head is so massive that it seems to be the most important part of the body” definitely a characteristic of the Cane Corso type dog, as was as the descriptions of the chest, shoulders and tail. However the comparisons end there, “It does not matter that house guard dogs have heavy bodies and are not swift of foot. They are meant to carry out their work from close quarters and do not need to run far” clearly this is referencing the heavy version, the mastino arch-type. Interestingly, Columella mentions the practice of cutting the dogs toes off so as to keep him bound to the property. Apparently it was not unusual, this practice was called “lawing”  The Mastino was meant to be a pre-eminent guard dog, bred to be as frightening as possible. That was his historical utilization, while the Cane Corso type dog shared in this type of work, the mastino is specialized to do it.  Unfortunately the Cane Corso suffers from the fact that the Neapolitan Mastiff is generally acknowledged as Italy’s national molossian. To that end there is an almost institutionalized belief that all things molossian are the exclusive birthright of the Neapolitan Mastiff. There has been an almost bias against the Cane Corso, (curiously similar to the bias that exist in Italy between north and south) when compared to the mastino, so much so that I feel this bias has even found its way into the Italian standard. The standard is worded in such a way as to mold the Cane Corso into an almost anti-Neo. I believe a direct result of this would be the proliferation of the Boxer type Cane Corso. Never present in the historical portrayal of the breed or in the meridone prior to the breed’s recovery.  Both arch-types are sufficiently represented through the ages; both are valid heirs to the Eprian molossian, the Roman canis pugnax and pugnaces Britanniae. While these two great molossians have a shared ancestry, they did not share the same road through history. The heavy type was a fierce guardian, huge and imposing, while the light version was a hunting/farm dog- swift, agile and powerful. There is a definite distinction; you need look no further than the iconography. References; IL Cane Corso, Origini e prospettive del molosso italico S. Gandolfi & F. Casolino Brevi Annotazioni Sul Cane Corso, Nel Tempo, Nelle Diverse Condizioni Geografiche, Ambientali E Sociali, Flavio Bruno. IL Cane Corso, Renzo Carosio IL Cane Corso, Flavio Bruno Fattoria Ad Indirizzo Cerealico-Zootecnico, Flavio Bruno IL Cane Corso, Edizioni L’Orsa IL Cane Corso, Giuseppe Chiecchi & Giorgio Gualtieri 1st Edition IL Cane Corso, Giuseppe Chiecchi & Giorgio Gualtieri 2nd Edition Testimoniaze Visive E Grafiche Di Un Amico Ritrovato: "IL Corso" Flavio Bruno & Giovanni Tumminelli The Official Book of the Neapolitan Mastiff, Sherilyn K. Allen The Neapolitan Mastiff; Mario Vacchi

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