La Imbali yeSan Bernardo igcwele ukuthandabuza nokuqikelela. Imvelaphi yayo ayaziwa ngokuqinisekileyo, nangona iinguqulelo ezahlukeneyo zinxibelelanisa ukuzalwa kolu hlobo kwiRoma yakudala, eGrisi naseSwitzerland. Ngokuqinisekileyo ngekhe sazi ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba ivelaphi, kodwa iintsomi ezinomdla ezijikeleze loo nto kufanelekile ukuba sizazi.
Enye yezona zidumileyo yile ithi imvelaphi yayo ibuyela kwizinja zamandulo zaseRoma, eyaziwa ngokuba yi-molossi. Kuthiwa zimbini iindidi zezi zinja, ezaseIllyria nezaseBhabheli, kwaye zaziswa ngumkhosi wamaRoma eHelvetia (Switzerland). Ukusuka kubo kuza kungekuphela kwe-Saint Bernard, kodwa kunye nenja yeNtaba yaseBernese kunye nenja enkulu yeNtaba yaseSwitzerland.
Malunga ne-AD 1.000, ezi zinja yazinza kwiiAlps zaseSwitzerland, apho zazisetyenziselwa khona iimfazwe, ukugada, ukufuya, ukukhangela kunye nokuhlangula. Ngelo xesha babekwabizwa ngokuba zii-Talhunds (izinja zentlambo) okanye i-Bahuerhunds (izinja zasezifama), kwaye ukubonakala kwazo kwafana ne-Saint Bernard yanamhlanje.
Inani le Umdikoni omkhulu uBernardo de Mentón isitshixo kweli bali liphela. Ekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-XNUMX, wenza i-hospice kwii-Alps zaseSwitzerland, ezazisebenza njengendawo yokubalekela amajoni kunye nabarhwebi, kwaye ngoku yindawo eyaziwayo yabakhenkethi kule ndawo. Ikwamkele kwaye yondla inani elikhulu lezinja zolu hlobo, ezalisekisa ukhuseleko olubalulekileyo kunye nemisebenzi yokusebenza. Ukongeza, babekwazi ukuziva i-avalanches, ngaloo ndlela begcina ubomi bamakhulu abantu.
Ngenxa yoko, ezi zinja zabizwa "San Bernardo”. Kufanelekile ukuba sikhankanye UBarry ("Bhele" ngolwimi lwaseBernese), eyona nja idumileyo yehosisi, osindise abantu abangaphezu kwama-40 kwaye umzimba wabo usalondolozwe kwiMyuziyam yeMbali yezeNdalo eBern. Usweleke kabuhlungu emva kokuba ephazanyiswe yingcuka, eshiya ngasemva imisebenzi emininzi yokukhangela eyimpumelelo. Namhlanje, ilivo lokwenyani elinxulunyaniswa nolu hlobo.