A mazzarella is a stick used to herd

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

(such as oxen), sheep, and horses in

northern Italy Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...

. It is carried by a

buttero A buttero (, plural butteri) or cavalcante is a mounted herder, usually of horses, of cattle, or of buffaloes, in Italy, predominantly in the Maremma region of Tuscany and northern Lazio, or in the Pontine Marshes to the south. History The ...

, a cowboy or shepherd in the regions of Maremma, in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, and in the bordering zones of the Northern

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whi ...

. 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 Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

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.

References

Italian language Agriculture in Italy {{Italy-stub