When it comes to quality wool, our thoughts almost automatically turn to the Merino sheep, the world's most famous sheep breed for the fineness and softness of its fiber. But behind Merino yarn lie centuries of history, precise animal-breeding characteristics and, for those like Lanaioli who believe in a short supply chain, a direct connection with the Italian territory.
What is a Merino sheep?
The Merino sheep is a breed native to Spain, selected over the centuries to produce wool that is particularly fine, soft and durable. The diameter of its fibers, much thinner than that of ordinary wool, is what makes Merino wool garments so pleasant against the skin and suitable even for those who suffer from skin irritation. Spread from the 18th century onward to France, England and later Australia and New Zealand, Merino sheep are now raised all over the world, but remain associated above all with the large farms of the Southern Hemisphere.
What makes Merino wool unique
In addition to its softness, Merino sheep wool stands out for technical properties that are difficult to match:
Thermoregulation: keeps the body warm in winter and cool in summer, thanks to the structure of the fibers, which creates microscopic air pockets.
Moisture management: absorbs sweat without feeling wet, reducing the formation of odors.
Elasticity and durability: the fibers bend thousands of times without breaking, ensuring that garments retain their shape over time.
Natural sustainability: it is a renewable and biodegradable fiber, a practical alternative to synthetic fabrics.
The problem with long supply chains
Most of the Merino wool that reaches the European market travels thousands of kilometers, coming mainly from Australia, New Zealand and South America. This journey involves international transport, high CO₂ emissions and a progressive loss of traceability of the raw material. At the same time, wool-sheep farming in Italy has almost disappeared: for decades, farmers have been encouraged to produce milk and meat, which are more profitable, leaving wool as an expensive waste product to dispose of.
Our commitment: Controra's Sopravissana sheep
It is precisely from this situation that Lanaioli's concrete commitment was born: to restore an Italian Merino wool supply chain, starting with the recovery of native Merino-crossbred breeds at risk of extinction. The heart of the project is Controra, the farm of one of Lanaioli's partners in Norma (LT), in the Lepini Mountains, which raises around 70 Sopravissana sheep: a historic breed from Central Italy created by crossing local Apennine sheep with Spanish Merino sheep.
Through this farm, we work to produce Merino wool from a short supply chain, rediscovering a breed that was at risk of disappearing and giving it a concrete productive role once again.
For us, focusing on the Sopravissana means much more than a production choice: it means guaranteeing fair compensation for Italian farmers, drastically reducing the transport required to source the raw material and offering our customers traceability that truly starts at the pasture, not at a container port on the other side of the world. Discover the names, places and figures behind our supply chain.
A different Merino wool, because it is ours
Choosing a Lanaioli garment made with Merino wool from Controra's Sopravissana sheep means choosing a product that combines this fiber's unique technical properties with an authentically Made in Italy short supply-chain project. A commitment that continues to grow, garment after garment, to show that another kind of fashion, more conscious and closer to the local area, is truly possible.
