Its name derives from that of the Serra do Marão, which lies in the Trás-os-Montes and Douro Litoral regions in the northern part of the country.

[2] Threats to the Maronesa include the falling number of keepers of the breed, their increasing mean age, and changes in the tax regulations.

[3] It shows morphological similarity to the Portuguese fighting bull, the Brava de Lide, with marked sexual dimorphism:[5]: 240  mature bulls are larger than cows, have a more heavily muscled neck, and tend to show more development in the foreparts compared with the rectangular body outline of cows and bullocks.

The horns extend horizontally from the skull, then point forwards and downwards so that they are almost parallel to the facial profile.

[5]: 240 The Maronesa has been used in attempts to re-create the aurochs, such as the TaurOs programme and Uruz project.