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: Trentino Alto Adige
Regions of Italy
Trentino Alto Adige is a multi-ethnic region. It was part of Austria-Hungary until 1919, then it was annexed to Italy (like Friuli Venezia Giulia) after World War I. It is also the northern most region of the peninsula. Here the spectacular natural scenery is covered with mountains and dominated by the [...]
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Trentino Alto Adige is a multi-ethnic region. It was part of Austria-Hungary until 1919, then it was annexed to Italy (like Friuli Venezia Giulia) after World War I. It is also the northern most region of the peninsula. Here the spectacular natural scenery is covered with mountains and dominated by the polychromatic rocks of the Dolomites. There are three major ethnic-linguistic stocks: Italian (65% of the population), German (32%) and Ladin (3%). There are numerous parks ( Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio), splendid natural oasis and protected areas.
The ‘Trentin Sudtirol’ – the German name of the area – was marked by ethnic tension for a long time. A land of intense Italian irredentism (e.g. Historical figures like Cesare Battisti), since it was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, during Fascism it went through a profound italianization.
Now, owing to some specific Italian-Austrian agreements, the entire region has gained a great deal of autonomy and the safeguard of the German and Ladin minorities. Bolzano and Trento are ‘autonomous provinces’ and the local administrations are governed by members of the three ethnic stocks who alternate. A strict set of rules regulates the use of the idioms spoken in a bilingual system.
Bolzano (Bolzen) is closely related to Innsbruck (Austria) both from an ethnic and geographical point of view. Traditionally the city is referred to as the capital of the Alps. All over the region people are devoted to the land. Not only is the territory considered a source of tourism and a natural environment that needs to be preserved, it is also regarded to as a spiritual value (origin, culture, sense of belonging). The beautiful landscape rich in castles, wooden refuges and masi (family run homesteads) spell out the people’s profound and almost religious respect for their homeland. The Duomo of Bolzano is a good architectural example of the Italian-German syncretism. Visitors cannot miss the Christmas market (local vintage wines, apple pancakes, wood crafts).
Trent, a flourishing municipality in Roman times, reached its utmost beauty in 1000 AD, when the Prince-Bishop system was established. The Duomo of San Vigilio was the seat of the Council of Trent, which gave birth to the Counter-Reformation, as attested by the success of the Baroque style.
The Trentino-Alto Adige culinary tradition is also remarkable: beer, speck, strudels and a wide range of ‘hunting meat’ are the result of the German influence.
