Comisana

The Comisana, also known as the Faccia Rossa or Lentinese, is an Italian breed of domestic sheep indigenous to central and northern areas of the Mediterranean island of Sicily.^{[3]: 204 [4]} Its name derives from that of the comune of Comiso, in the province of Ragusa. It is raised principally in the provinces of Caltanissetta, Enna and Palermo, but is found in many other Italian provinces and has also been exported to other Mediterranean countries.^[4]: 204

Comisana

Conservation status	FAO (2007): not at risk[1]
Other names	Faccia Rossa Lentinese
Country of origin	Italy
Distribution	north and central Sicily
Standard	MIPAAF
Use	triple-purpose, primarily for milk
Traits
Weight	Male: 80 kg [2] Female: 50 kg [2]
Height	Male: 80 cm [2] Female: 70 cm [2]
Wool colour	white
Face colour	brick-red with white frontal stripe
Horn status	hornless in both sexes
Sheep Ovis aries

History

The origins of the Comisana are obscure; it is a southern Mediterranean breed.^[4]: 204 It appears to derive from cross-breeding of the Sicilian Pinzirita with Maltese stock imported to Sicily towards the end of the nineteenth century.^[5]: 788

It is one of the seventeen autochthonous Italian sheep breeds for which a genealogical herd-book is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders;^[6]: 10 the herdbook was established in 1976.^[3] Total numbers for the breed were estimated at 350000 in 1983, of which 64500 were registered in the herdbook.^[4]: 205 In 2013 the number recorded in the herdbook was 28428;^[7] in 2023 it was 3968.^[8] In 2025 the conservation status of the breed was listed in DAD-IS as "at risk/vulnerable".^[8]

Use

The milk yield of the Comisana averages 104±30 kg per lactation for primiparous ewes, and 189±51 kg for pluriparous ones. It may exceed 500 kg. The milk has 6.5% fat and 5.2% protein.^[6]: 10 Lambs are usually slaughtered at the age of about one month, at a weight of 9–10 kg. Rams yield about 2.5 kg of wool, ewes about 1.3 kg; the wool is of coarse quality, suitable for mattresses.^[4]: 205