The Italian Saint Bernard Club (C.I.S.B.) is a specialized society of the E.N.C.I. - F.C.I. It is the only sodality in Italy with official recognition of tutelage, selection and cultural promotion of the Saint Bernard dog. It was founded in 1967 by Dr. Antonio Morsiani and a group of "giant of the Alps" lovers, among which were Albert de la Rie and Alois Schmid. That same year the Italian Saint Bernard Club become co-founder of the W.U.S.B. (World Union of Saint Bernard Clubs - Unione Mondiale dei Clubs del San Bernardo).
In 40 years of activity the C.I.S.B. under the enlightened guide of its first president Dr. Antonio Morsiani, carried out a crucial task the aim of which was to gain historical knowledge about the Saint Bernard dog and, at the same time, concentrate on morphogenetical as well as functional selection of the breed, distinguishing itself by providing fundamental technical support for breeders and true Siant Bernard lovers.
The C.I.S.B. has always distinguished itself among the other E.N.C.I. clubs, on national as well as international level, as one of the most active clubs from a sportive, divulgative and technical prospective.

  The activity of the Club and of its president Antonio Morsiani rapidly increased the Italian breeding of the Saint Bernard to global peaks, leading to an enhancement in the number of people eager to record themselves in the Stud Book (Libro delle Origini). There have been numerous update encounters, exhibitions, congresses, seminars, initiatives and happenings that have had the C.I.S.B. as their central organizer.
The Club has always directed its work towards genuine zootechnics and improved knowledge about the breed, through a number of publications, reviews and scientific studies put to good use by passionate dog lovers, breeders and judges.
The Comments to the Standard of the Saint Bernard (Commenti allo standard del San Bernardo), written by Dr. Antonio Morsiani, accompanied by hundreds of the author's technical illustrations, was first published by the C.I.S.B. in 1973 and then republished more than once with English and German translations. The latest edition was published in 2000, the launch was held by the World's Forum and W.U.S.B. and F.O.R.U.M in Bagnara di Romagna, Italy.The author made a donation of the "Comments" to the C.I.S.B. The text reppresents the bone structure of this site and is without a doubt in many ways the most accurate and most important cynognostic scientific study of the Saint Bernard ever published. The basis is both cultural and scientific for anybody who wishes to deepen their knowledge of the breed.

  During its history, the C.I.S.B. has hosted in Italy three editons of the World Championship W.U.S.B. for Saint Bernards (1976 Lazise sul Garda; 1986 Dozza Imolese; 2000 Bagnara di Romagna). The 2000 edition was indeed a historical event for the 322 registrations and the participation of more than 50 specialized judges coming from over 22 different nations (a real record!).

   In 1998 the C.I.S.B. along with the German, Swiss and Danish clubs organized the "International Forum of the Saint Bernard" with the specific aim of creating a European technical centre for the breed, favouring and enhancing that way both breeders exchange and relations among communities with european leadership in Saint Bernard selection. This fact produced great interest and entusiasm on international level and would eventually give good results in the quality upgrading of the breed, particularly considering the long term.

  When the first chairman and founder of the C.I.S.B., Dr. Antonio Morsiani passed away (1995), his son, Professor Giovanni Morsiani, succeeded as chairman. Professor Morsiani is a specialized judge for Saint Bernards and is a cynognostics teacher at various Italian universities. From then on club activity has proceeded constantly, assisted by technical and didactic support from the Antonio Morsiani International Foundation for Studies on the Dog (Fondazione Internazionale Antonio Morsiani di Studi sul Cane) combined with the activity of various universities.

  Created in 1996, in memory of the great breeder, judge and cynologist, the Foundation aims to continue and develop the work of Antonio Morsiani. Over the years and in its recent activities, C.I.S.B. has dedicated much time to scientific studies and research on the breed, of which is to point out the biometrical control of the Saint Bernard, elaborated in co-operation with Professor Giovanni Morsiani, that is to contribute to the formulation of a proposal of a new morphological standard.
This text is an important upgrading of the old cynognostic standard (dating back to 1887 and quite obsolete) and has already been discussed by the Forum and is now awaiting official recognition by the F.C.I. Research continued with the same intensity in studying various breed-related healh issues such as hereditary or congenital diseases as well as illness linked to the hormonal or endocrinological asset of the breed.

  The Technical Board of CISB, is headed by the chairman and it consists of scientists, researchers, breeders, judges (Dor. Gianluigi Streparola end Dott. Sergio Villa, foreign co-workers (Professor Peter Brieskorn (D) and the Engineer Per Bay (DK)) as well as consultants and experts in various disciplines. The Technical Board organizes conventions on regular basis, under the patronage and support of the above-mentioned Foundation and of E.n.c.i (oltre che del Forum e della Wusb), (as well as the Forum and the W.U.S.B.). These events keep breeders and judges informed and provide teaching courses for those aspiring to became breeders and judges.
The C.I.S.B. has recently engaged research and thorough examination on the temperament and psychological aspects of the Saint Bernard considering future testing and verification that would confirm the well known reliability and balanced temper of the breed - great qualities inscribed in the genetical heritage of the Saint Bernard, but that only correct selection and knowledge can concur to stabilize.
We have tried to define here what could the profile be of a true Saint Bernard lover, a member of the Italian Saint Bernard Club and a great lover of a truly extraordinary dog.
Perhaps the nicest definition of a Saint Bernard lover is the following:« Someone who loves nature and appreciates beauty, a dreamer, a gentleman, an aesthete - that is, in a word - a dog lover»