The Branchiero Sicliano is believed to have an ancient origin, brought to Sicily by the Roman legions.
Its work all the way up to modern times have been to guard the cattle in the Trapanese and Madonie regions of Sicily, and for such work it have always been the preferred dog breed in the region.
The Branchiero was also often used as a guard-dog for butchers who used the dogs for protection of their goods when they travelled to the marked. The alternative name of the breed; "Il Cane del Macellaio" does in fact translates to "butchers dog".
Proof of the existence of the Branchiero Siciliano and its antiquity can be found in the "The Book of the Dog", published in 1948, where it is written; "Even to-day dogs of this old type may be found here and there, some recognized as distinct breeds and others lost in the obscurity of unorthodoxy; readily to mind, comes the Branchiero of Sicily, a now rare, short-faced cattle dog." In modern times the Branchiero Siciliano have lost popularity, much due to the introducion of the recognized dog breeds, and as we can read above, the breed was rare already in 1948.
In the late 1990's it existed about 40 pure Branchiero's of good type. Present situation for the breed is unknown for Molosserworld at this time.