1.
Italy
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Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, Italy covers an area of 301,338 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate and Mediterranean climate. Due to its shape, it is referred to in Italy as lo Stivale. With 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous EU member state, the Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated other nearby civilisations. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity. The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration, Italian culture flourished at this time, producing famous scholars, artists and polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli. The weakened sovereigns soon fell victim to conquest by European powers such as France, Spain and Austria. Despite being one of the victors in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil. The subsequent participation in World War II on the Axis side ended in defeat, economic destruction. Today, Italy has the third largest economy in the Eurozone and it has a very high level of human development and is ranked sixth in the world for life expectancy. The country plays a prominent role in regional and global economic, military, cultural and diplomatic affairs, as a reflection of its cultural wealth, Italy is home to 51 World Heritage Sites, the most in the world, and is the fifth most visited country. The assumptions on the etymology of the name Italia are very numerous, according to one of the more common explanations, the term Italia, from Latin, Italia, was borrowed through Greek from the Oscan Víteliú, meaning land of young cattle. The bull was a symbol of the southern Italic tribes and was often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Social War. Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus states this account together with the legend that Italy was named after Italus, mentioned also by Aristotle and Thucydides. The name Italia originally applied only to a part of what is now Southern Italy – according to Antiochus of Syracuse, but by his time Oenotria and Italy had become synonymous, and the name also applied to most of Lucania as well. The Greeks gradually came to apply the name Italia to a larger region, excavations throughout Italy revealed a Neanderthal presence dating back to the Palaeolithic period, some 200,000 years ago, modern Humans arrived about 40,000 years ago. Other ancient Italian peoples of undetermined language families but of possible origins include the Rhaetian people and Cammuni. Also the Phoenicians established colonies on the coasts of Sardinia and Sicily, the Roman legacy has deeply influenced the Western civilisation, shaping most of the modern world
2.
South Tyrol
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South Tyrol, also known by its alternative Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of 7,400 square kilometres and its capital is the city of Bolzano. As of 2011, South Tyrol is among the wealthiest regions in Italy, South Tyrol is the term most commonly used in English for the province, and its usage reflects that it was created from a portion of the southern part of the historic County of Tyrol. German and Ladin speakers usually refer to the area as Südtirol, Alto Adige, one of the Italian names for the province, is also used in English. The term had been the name of political subdivisions along the Adige River in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte and it was reused as the Italian name of the current province after its post-World War I creation, and was a symbol of the subsequent forced Italianization of South Tyrol. The official name of the today in German is Autonome Provinz Bozen — Südtirol. German speakers usually refer to it not as a Provinz, provincial institutions are referred to using the prefix Landes-, such as Landesregierung and Landeshauptmann. The official name in Italian is Provincia autonoma di Bolzano — Alto Adige, South Tyrol as an administrative entity originated during the First World War. The Allies promised the area to Italy in the Treaty of London of 1915 as an incentive to enter the war on their side, with the rise of Fascism, the new regime made efforts to bring forward the Italianization of South Tyrol. The German language was banished from public service, German teaching was officially forbidden, the regime also favored immigration from other Italian regions. The subsequent alliance between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini declared that South Tyrol would not follow the destiny of Austria, the region was de facto annexed to the German Reich until the end of the war. This status ended along with the Nazi regime, and Italian rule was restored in 1945, after the war the Allies decided that the province would remain a part of Italy, under the condition that the German-speaking population be granted a significant level of self-government. Italy and Austria negotiated an agreement in 1946, recognizing the rights of the German minority, alcide De Gasperi, Italys prime minister, a native of Trentino, wanted to extend the autonomy to his fellow citizens. This led to the creation of the region called Trentino-Alto Adige/Tiroler Etschland, German and Italian were both made official languages, and German-language education was permitted once more. Still Italians were the majority in the combined region, in a first phase, only public edifices and fascist monuments were targeted. The second phase was bloodier, costing 21 lives, the South Tyrolean question became an international issue. A fresh round of negotiations took place in 1961 but proved unsuccessful, the issue was resolved in 1971, when a new Austro-Italian treaty was signed and ratified
3.
Bolzano
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Bolzano is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 105,713, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol, Bolzano is the seat of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, where lectures and seminars are held in English, German and Italian. The city is home to the Italian Armys Alpini High Command and some of its combat. In 2014 version of the ranking of quality of life in Italian cities. Along with other Alpine towns in South Tyrol, Bolzano engages in the Alpine Town of the Year Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention, the Convention aims to promote and achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. Consequently, Bolzano was awarded Alpine Town of the Year 2009, the Romans built a settlement after the area had been conquered in 15 BC by General Nero Claudius Drusus. The military settlement, Pons Drusi, was named after this Roman General, during this time the area became part of the region Venetia et Histria of ancient Italy. In 1948, excavations of the current Cathedral led to the discovery of an ancient Christian basilica from the 4th century. Also discovered was a Roman cemetery, including the tomb of Secundus Regontius with Latin inscriptions dating to the 3rd century, making him the oldest known inhabitant of Bolzano. During the gradual decline of the Romans influence in the 7th century, Bavarian immigration took place, at that time, the Bavarians named the nearby villages around Bolzano Bauzanum or Bauzana. German populations have been present in the region of Tyrol since this time, in 1027 the area of Bolzano and the rest of the diocese was conferred, by the emperor Conrad II from the Salian dynasty, upon the bishops of Trent. In the late-12th century, the bishop founded a market town, the town therefore became an important trading post on the Transalpine Augsburg-Venice route over the Brenner Pass, elevation 1,371 metres above sea level, within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1277 Bolzano was conquered by Meinhard II, the Count of Tyrol, in 1363, the County of Tyrol fell under the influence of Habsburg Austria and the Holy Roman Empire. In 1381, Duke Leopold granted the citizens of Bolzano the privilege of a town council and this gradually eliminated the influence and power previously held by the bishops of Trent over the next few decades. In 1462, the bishops eventually resigned all their rights of jurisdiction over the town, from the 14th and 15th centuries onwards, a large market fair was organised four times per year to greet tradesmen and merchants en-route the Brenner Pass. The Mercantile Magistrate was therefore founded in 1635 by the Austrian duchess Claudia de Medici, during every market season, two Italian and two Germanic officers, who were appointed among the local tradesmen, worked in this magistrate office. The establishment of a trade organisation strengthened Bolzano as a cultural crossroad in the Alps. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Bolzano became briefly part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy and was incorporated into the Dipartimento Alto Adige
4.
Rasen-Antholz
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Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in northern Italy. The municipal area stretches along the Antholz valley, a side valley of the larger Puster Valley. In the northeast, the Staller Saddle mountain pass, at a height of 2,050 m leads into the Defereggen Valley in East Tyrol, Austria. The Antholz valley is confined by the mountains of the Rieserferner Group in the north and the Villgraten Mountains in the east, both part of the High Tauern range in the Central Eastern Alps. Notable peaks include the Hochgall, at 3,436 m, large parts of the northern and western mountain ranges belong to the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park established in 1988. The Antholzer Bach stream runs through the valley from Antholzer See down to its confluence with the Rienz river at Olang, Rasen-Antholz is located east of Bruneck, the administrative centre of the Puster Valley, and about 60 km northeast of the South Tyrolean capital Bolzano. It borders the municipalities, Bruneck, Gsies, Percha, Olang, Sand in Taufers, Welsberg-Taisten. The municipality of Rasen-Antholz contains six frazioni, Antholz Niedertal, Antholz Mittertal, Antholz Obertal, Neunhäusern, according to the 2011 census,98. 40% of the population speak German,1. 16% Italian and 0. 44% Ladin as first language. Archaeological findings of a Hallstatt cemetery near Niederrasen denote a settlement of the already in the Iron Age. In 15 BC, present-day Tyrol was conquered by the Roman Empire, about 590 AD, Bavarian tribes under their Duke Tassilo I entered the region. Rasen itself was first mentioned in a 1050 deed, the local Lords of Rasen served as ministeriales of the Counts of Tyrol from the 13th century onwards and they resided at Altrasen Castle which was first documented in 1210. Count Meinhard II of Tyrol ceded it to his consort Elisabeth of Bavaria in 1259, meanwhile the Lords of Rasen had Neurasen Castle erected, which fell to the Bishops of Brixen in 1342. Upon the extinction of the Meinhardiner counts in 1500, Tyrol as a became a crown land of the Habsburg Monarchy. The shield is gules a pile reversed on sable and argent and it is the sign of the Lords of Rasen, who ruled from 1353. The emblem was adopted on 10 August 1967. Rasen-Antholz is known for the Südtirol Arena biathlon track opened in 1971 and it hosted the Biathlon World Championships 1975,1976,1983,1995, and 2007. It is also a venue of the Biathlon World Cup season
5.
Puster Valley
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The Puster Valley is a valley in the Alps that runs in an east-west direction between Lienz in East Tyrol, Austria and Mühlbach near Brixen in South Tyrol, Italy. The municipalities of the Puster Valley constitute the Puster Valley district, East of Sillian, the Puster Valley leaves the Peradriatic Line and turns to the northeast towards Lienz. Half of the valley drains to the west to the Adriatic via the Adige river, the watershed lies in the shallow valley floor called Toblacher Feld. The Rienz river flows westwards through the Puster Valley and the Drau river flows eastwards into East Tyrol, the eastern part of the valley on the upper Drava is called Upper Puster Valley. The towns in the Puster Valley are located between 750 and 1,180 meters above sea level. The most important of these towns in the valley are Toblach, Welsberg-Taisten, Olang, and Bruneck, the most important in the eastern valley are Innichen, Sexten. The largest tributaries of the Rienz river form the Antholzer Bach, the Ahr, the Pragser Bach, the Gsieser Bach, the Gran Ega, the Pfunderer Bach, the Puster Valleys largest side valley is the Tauferer Ahrntal. The Draus largest eastern tributaries are the Sextner Bach and the Villgraten-Bach, the Puster Valley District was founded in 1969 with the merger of 26 municipalities. Its combined area is 2,071 km² and its population is over 73,000, according to the 2001 census,80. 96% of the population of the valley speak German,13. 40% Ladin, and 5. 64% Italian as their native language. The following municipalities are part of the Puster Valley District, Media related to Puster Valley at Wikimedia Commons Puster Valley District
6.
Bruneck
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Bruneck is the largest town in the Puster Valley in the Italian province of South Tyrol. Bruneck lies at the confluence of the Ahr with the Rienz, here the northern Tauferer Ahrntal side valley and the southern Gadertal of the Gran Ega creek join the broad Pustertal. The municipal area stretches from the slopes of the Zillertal Alps in the west to the Rieserferner Group of the High Tauern range in the east. The Bruneck town centre is located about 35 kilometres west of Brixen and 70 kilometres of the regional capital Bolzano on the road to the Brenner Pass, to the east, the town is 60 kilometres from Winnebach on the border with East Tyrol in Austria. According to the 2011 census,82. 47% of the population speak German,15. 24% Italian and 2. 29% Ladin as first language. The town was named after its founder, the Brixen prince-bishop Bruno von Kirchberg. At that time, the town consisted of two rows of houses forming a narrow lane, the castle was significantly enlarged under Prince-Bishop Albert von Enn, who also had the town walls and moat completed until 1336. Soon thereafter, further rows of houses were built outside the eastern gate and these led to the small Church of Our Lady. The first church inside the walls was built beneath the castle by the Brunecker burgher Niklas von Stuck. This church is today the Rainkirche, in 1358, Heinrich von Stuck, brother of Niklas, brother, funded the hospital/almshouse that was built in the following years. Soon the town received the right to hold a weekly market, a castle leader occupied the fortress as the bishops representative. In the 14th and 15th centuries, there was trade between Augsburg and Venice. Some of the goods were brought through the Puster Valley. This soon brought the prosperity and fame. In this time, the Puster Valley painting school was founded by the painter Hans von Bruneck, the great masters Michael and Friedrich Pacher studied at this school. In 1500, the Puster Valley was reunited with Tyrol because of a contract between the house of Habsburg and the counts of Görz-Tirol. The town of Bruneck remained an episcopal possession, in 1610, Bruneck, which had previously belonged to the parish of St. Lorenzen, became a parish in its own right. The first parish priest documented was Johann Herlin in 1613, in 1626, the Capuchin order came to Bruneck
7.
Badia, South Tyrol
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Badia is a comune in South Tyrol, northern Italy. It is one of the five Ladin-speaking communities of the Val Badia, the following communities neighbor Badia, Cortina dAmpezzo, Corvara, Mareo, Livinallongo del Col di Lana, San Martin de Tor, La Val and Sëlva. The municipality of Badia contains the frazioni La Ila, San Ciascian, the emblem is that of the Winkler Colz von zu Rubatsch family which, in the 16th and 17th century, had property and the castle at La Ila. The shield is party per fess, at the top is represented a sable steinbock, the lower part is divided into three, with vertex at the top, alternating gules and argent with a rose in the center, every rose has the central petal in or. The emblem was granted in 1967, according to the 2011 census,94. 07% of the population speak Ladin,4. 17% Italian and 1. 76% German as first language. Badia is part of the Puez-Geisler and the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park and it is also near the mountains of Lagazuoi, Conturines, La Varela, LCiaval and Gardenaccia. A pilgrimage church, the Church of the Holy Cross, is located near the birthplace of Saint Josef Freinademetz, micurà de Rü, born in Rü, San Cascian, Ladin linguist. Joseph Freinademetz, born in Oies, Catholic saint and missionary to China, as in other Ladin-speaking communities in South Tyrol, tourism is the most important contributor to Badias economy. Around 69% of the work in the service sector, around 21% work in production. Part of the lies in Alta Badia, a ski resort at the top end of the Val Badia valley. The start of the annual single-day seven mountain passes crossing Maratona dles Dolomites bicycle race is every year in La Ila, homepage of the municipality Media related to Badia, South Tyrol at Wikimedia Commons
8.
Brixen
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Brixen is a town in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about 40 kilometres north of Bolzano. First mentioned in 901, Brixen is the third largest city and oldest town in the province, and it is located at the confluence of the Eisack and Rienz rivers,40 kilometres north of Bolzano and 45 kilometres south of the Brenner Pass, on the Italy-Austrian border. It is flanked on the side by the Plose and Telegraph mountains. Brixen is especially known as a skiing resort. Other activities include hydroelectric power, orchards, and vineyards, the area of Brixen has been settled since the Upper Paleolithic. Other settlements from the late Stone Age have been found and in 15 BC, the area was conquered by the Romans and they held it until around 590, when it was occupied by Bavarians. The first mention of Brixen dates to 901 in a document issued by the King of Germany, Louis III the Child, in it a territory called Prihsna is assigned to Zacharias, as time passed, Prihsna turned into the current name of Brixen. The bishops moved here from Säben in 992, after the Cathedral had been finished, in 1039, the Bishop of Brixen, Poppo, was elevated to Pope by emperor Henry III. However his reign lasted for only 23 days, yet in the same century, Brixen became the seat of an independent ecclesiastical principate which, in the following years, struggled for existence against the neighbouring county of Tyrol. In 1115, a first line of walls encircling Brixen was completed, the bishopric was secularized in 1803 and annexed by the Austrian Empire. Between 1851 and 1855, the Czech journalist and writer Karel Havlíček Borovský was exiled by the Austrian government to Brixen, after the end of World War I, Brixen was annexed by Italy. The oldest coat of arms dates back to 1297 with the lamb, on 13 November 1928, a shield with the city walls and a gate on the lawn in the upper half and the lamb in the lower was adopted. The emblem is a turned argent lamb with an or halo on a gules background, the emblem was granted in 1966. The Cathedral, was rebuilt in the 13th century and again in 1745–54 along Baroque lines, the ceiling of the nave has a large fresco by Paul Troger portraying the Adoration of the Lamb. The Hofburg, a Renaissance Bishops Palace, one of the main residences in South Tyrol. The Diocesan Museum has several artworks, including a presepe with 5,000 figures created for Bishop Karl Franz Lodron, the round parish church of Saint Michael. The Gothic choir and the tower are from the 15th century while the nave is from the 16th. The main artwork is a wooden Cireneus from the 15th century, the Pharmacy Museum Pharmaziemuseum Brixen, located in a nearly 500-year-old townhouse, shows the development and changes of the City - Pharmacy
9.
Corvara, South Tyrol
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Corvara is a comune in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about 40 kilometres east of Bolzano. As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 1,340, Corvara borders the following municipalities, Badia, Canazei, Livinallongo del Col di Lana, San Martin de Tor, and Sëlva. Corvara is the center of Alta Badia, a prestigious tourist area located at the top end of the Val Badia. Because of its position in the heart of the Dolomites. The municipality of Corvara contains the frazioni Calfosch and Pescosta, the emblem represents three vert mountains, dominated by three gules peaks with the inclined top on an argent background. The three peaks represent the Sassongher mountain overlooking the village, the emblem was granted in 1969. According to the 2011 census,89. 70% of the population speak Ladin,6. 84% Italian and 3. 46% German as first language, the finish of the annual single-day seven mountain passes crossing Maratona dles Dolomites bicycle race is in Corvara. Alta Badia Dolomites Alta Badia Touristic Information Media related to Corvara at Wikimedia Commons
10.
Franzensfeste
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Franzensfeste is a comune in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It is named after the large Franzensfeste Fortress erected from 1833 to 1838 and is known as an important railway hub. Franzensfeste is located in the southern Wipptal valley on the Eisack river, the valley is confined by the Zillertal Alps in the northeast and the Sarntal Alps in the southwest, rising up to the Tagewaldhorn peak at 2,708 m. The village dates from the 19th century when the construction of the fortifications was begun, to which the site is closely linked in name. The parish was originally Mittewald, still the land, with the two villages of Oberau and Unterau. Archeological findings have shown the area to be settled by 2500 B. C. as indicated by the finding of home pottery. In the 17th century, where the station is now placed, there were a few farms and it is still in operation today. Work began on June 17,1833, and the Franzensfeste Fortress was inaugurated by Franz successor Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria on August 18,1838. The construction of the fortress and later of the Brenner railway, helped thousands of workers who found accommodation in Franzensfeste contributing to the development and growth of the village. The Franzensfeste Fortress, however, lost its importance with the signing of the Triple Alliance military agreement by Germany, Austria-Hungary. The fortifications were transformed into an ammunition depot, which kept even when was transferred to Italy according to the 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain. Franzensfeste in 1940 was elevated to municipality, became an important railway junction, until the 1990s Franzensfeste was an important customs goods-station for cattle, but with the entry of Austria in the European Community has lost importance. In the summer of 2008 the fortress of Franzenfeste was opened to the public for the first time as one of the locations of Manifesta 7, in 2009 the location hosted the so-called Landesausstellung, an event remembering the Bicentenaire of the Tyrolean riots in 1809. The emblem of Fortress consists of an argent inverted upsilon symbolizing the roads to the village, the gules area, on top left, symbolizes the rock, the azure, top right, the lake and the vert the meadows. The emblem was adopted in 1968, according to the 2011 census,59. 63% of the population speak German,38. 51% Italian and 1. 86% Ladin as first language. Franzensfeste, ein Monumentalwerk der Befestigungskunst des 19, munich, Deutscher Kunstverlag 1986, ISBN 978-3-422-00795-6 Media related to Franzensfeste at Wikimedia Commons Homepage of the municipality
11.
Freienfeld
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Freienfeld is a comune in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about 45 kilometres north of the city of Bolzano. As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 2,668 and an area of 95.3 square kilometres. The municipality also includes the villages of Stilfes and Mauls, the first in the plain in front of Trens beyond the river, Freienfeld borders the following municipalities, Franzensfeste, Ratschings, Mühlbach, Sarntal, Pfitsch, and Sterzing. The municipality of Freienfeld contains the frazioni Egg, Elzenbaum, Flans, Mauls, Niederried, Pfulters, Ritzail, Sprechenstein, Stilfes, Trens, the town was already inhabited in prehistoric times, as shown by archaeological finds at the St. In 450 the territory was invaded by Bavarii during their migration southbound, in 1525, during the period of peasant struggles, the church of Stilfes was sacked several times. The reorganization of Commons, made in 1849, led to a reduction of these, on October 18,1928, by decree, the three municipalities were reunited in a single, the Municipality of Freienfeld. Nearby the village of Mauls, take one of the defence of the “Vallo Alpino Littorio in Alto Adige”, a set of bunkers wanted by Benito Mussolini. In the last period of the Second World War, the area was hit by bombing the railway bridge over the river and the ammunition storage at Stilfes. The Municipality of Freienfeld joined, in 1967, the Community of the Valleys of the Eisacktal until 1979 to establish, together with the other municipalities, the Wipptal District Community. The emblem of the Municipality of Freienfeld consists of argent equilateral triangle, with the sides curved inward, the three vert sectors means the three municipalities, Trens, Stilfes and Mauls, and the white part is the central Municipality of Freienfeld. The emblem was granted in 1968, according to a legend a farmer found a wood carved statue among the debris of a landslide and carried it to his house. The following day the statue was found in a chapel and the people began to venerate it. In a document dated September 10,1345, it is mentioned for the first time of a church in Trens, in 1407 the family Trauston appointed a weekly Mass to be celebrated on Tuesday in the church. The present church was built in 1498 in Late Gothic with two entrance, the priest of Stilves obtained a “littera indulgentiarum” from twelve cardinals in 1482 in order to ease the construction. The chaplain of the deanery of Trens received in 1648 the commission to say Mass every day in Trens and the pilgrimages to the church increased. The “Chapel of Our Lady” was inaugurated on March 29,1728, at the half of 18th century the church underwent to a restoration in Baroque on plan by Joseph Adam Ritter von Mölk. The miraculous image was crowned in 1928 and the church parish in 1939. The ancient ecclesiastical centre is Stilfes that is still the main church of the village, the church is dedicated to St. Peter and is mentioned for the first time in 827
Media related to Welsberg-Taisten at Wikimedia Commons
