Mazzarella
Encyclopedia
A mazzarella is a stick used to herd cattle (such as oxen), sheep, and horses in northern Italy.
It is carried by a buttero
, a cowboy or shepherd in the regions of Maremma, in Tuscany and in the bordering zones of the Northern Latium.
It is derived from the word "mazza", the Italian word for mace. The mace (or mazza) was the primary weapon in Europe between the 12th and 16th Centuries, and the area around Milan in northern Italy was a primary site of manufacture for the Italian mace that was most popular during this period.
Starting around the 15th to 16th Century, the mace
became a ceremonial symbol of authority
, and has continued to be so at multiple European courts as well as in the U.S. Congress and at many universities.
The mazzarella, therefore, is a derivation that persists in Northern Italy both as a symbol of authority (for the cowboy or shepherd) as well as having an impetus/herding function.
It is carried by a buttero
Buttero
A buttero is a shepherd or cowboy in the region of Maremma, in Tuscany in the Northern Latium and in the Pontine Marshes. The buttero habitually rides the horse typical of the Maremma, a Maremmano, and tends livestock, especially cattle and sheep. The characteristic saddle is called a bardella...
, a cowboy or shepherd in the regions of Maremma, in Tuscany and in the bordering zones of the Northern Latium.
It is derived from the word "mazza", the Italian word for mace. The mace (or mazza) was the primary weapon in Europe between the 12th and 16th Centuries, and the area around Milan in northern Italy was a primary site of manufacture for the Italian mace that was most popular during this period.
Starting around the 15th to 16th Century, the mace
Ceremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon...
became a ceremonial symbol of authority
Ceremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon...
, and has continued to be so at multiple European courts as well as in the U.S. Congress and at many universities.
The mazzarella, therefore, is a derivation that persists in Northern Italy both as a symbol of authority (for the cowboy or shepherd) as well as having an impetus/herding function.