southern France, and the French and
Dalmatian Alps.
The Growth of Diversity During the 10 or 12
centuries after Rome’s strong rule, the art of
cheesemaking progressed in the feudal estates
and monasteries, which worked steadily at
settling in forested areas or mountain
meadows and clearing the land for grazing.
These widely dispersed communities
developed their cheesemaking techniques
independently to suit their local landscape,
climate, materials, and markets. Small,
perishable soft cheeses, often made from the
milk of a few household animals, were
consumed locally and quickly and could only
be sent to nearby towns. Large hard cheeses
required the milk of many animals and were
often made by cooperatives (the Gruyère
fruiteries began around 1200); they kept
indefinitely and could be transported to
market from distant regions. The result was a