 Fifty-two of them are protected at a European level.In terms of raw production volume, Italy is the third largest cheese producer in the European Union, behind France and Germany.Lombardy is the first Italian region for number of protected cheeses, with 77 varieties, among which Granone Lodigiano, ancestor of all Italian granular cheeses such as Grana Padano and Parmigiano-Reggiano, Mascarpone, and the well-known Gorgonzola blue cheese.