 North American Piedmontese cattle originated from a line of Italian purebred Piedmontese cattle , ( Italian : Piemontese or <unk> bovina Piemontese ) , in the region of Piedmont in northwest Italy . They continue to be cultivated in Italy as a " dual @-@ purpose animal ... having very rich milk used for specialty cheese production and beef marketed as a premium product . " There is much speculation on the breed 's evolution , but one theory by Italian professor , Silvano <unk> , is based on evidence obtained from fossil records and cave writings , and concludes that the breed descends from the ancient <unk> cattle , and the Pakistan Zebu cattle . Reports of the first historical evidence for breeding Piedmontese cattle dates back only to the late 1800s , however , and credits the work of Italian professor , Domenico <unk> . 
