Since ancient times Piacenza and its territory have always had humid, continental weather with a narrow temperature range. This weather encouraged sheep-rearing and stock-farming.

As a matter of fact, the province of Piacenza proved to be the ideal natural environment for pig farming, and, therefore, for the manufacturing of cured pork meats: pigs do not like direct sunlight and excessive heat, but they thrive in woodlands with plenty of water. It is only thanks to a relatively temperate climate that it is possible to fatten pigs in a balanced way. The firmness of fat is closely related to the speed of growth and the outdoor temperature: if the latter is extremely cold, pigs do not put on much weigh, and, as a consequence, their fat becomes softer. As for maturing, all four main valleys of Piacenza enjoy a climate that suits the maturing of cured pork meats to perfection.

The earliest traces of pig farming in the province date back to around 1000 BC. Prehistoric finds, mixed up with animal bones that on closer inspection turned out to be pig bones, have been dug out in the area of Piacenza "terramare", between Montata dell'Orto (Caorso) and Castelnuovo Fogliani (Alseno).

The Romans also seemed to appreciate pigs, as can be inferred from a bronze charm in the shape of a small pig, now at the Museo Civico of Piacenza. Images of pigs can also be found inside the Abbey of San Colombano in Bobbio, Val Trebbia, in a beautiful twelfth-century mosaic showing the "sacred ritual" of pig slaughtering. The same subject decorates the crypt of the church of San Savino in Piacenza.

In the early twentieth century, local manufacturing of cured pork meats started to develop on a semi-industrial basis, and exports were made possible by the excellent standard of packaging. In recent years, the demand from consumers has increased considerably, and now a number of qualified manufacturers work in this field on an industrial basis. Despite the passing of time and the advancing of technological progress, the different manufacturing stages in the production of good cured meats are carried out according to traditional methods, in small family-run establishments as well as in large factories.

That is why the cured pork meats produced in the province of Piacenza are of excellent quality, today as in the past. They are manufactured in the traditional way, according to old production rules handed down from generation to generation of experienced pork butchers, called "massalein" in the local dialect.