The Agerolese derives from cross-breeding of indigenous grey Podolica cattle with a variety of imported breeds including Friesian, Braunvieh and Jersey. The earliest such importation may have been by the Bourbon kings of Naples, who in the eighteenth century imported breeding stock of various breeds to improve the local grey cattle. It seems that when in 1845 the adventurer and soldier General Paolo Avitabile returned from England to his native Agerola, he brought with him Jersey cattle, which were added to the local stock.
The Agerolese breed is derived from the cross-breeding of indigenous Podolica cattle with imported breeds such as Friesian, Braunvieh, and Jersey. The introduction of these breeds may have originated with the Bourbon kings of Naples in the 18th century, who sought to improve the local cattle through selective breeding. General Paolo Avitabile's return from England in 1845 brought additional Jersey cattle to the region.