Trentino-Alto Adige - Amordivino

Trentino-Alto Adige

Population: 924.281
Surface (Kmq): 13607
Density (Ab/Kmq.): 68
Main city: Trento (TN)
Other towns: Bolzano (BZ)

The name Trentino-Alto Adige conceals a hybrid region - two regions forcibly and sometimes unhappily welded together. This is where Italy meets Germany, where the Mediterranean south meets Germanic northern Europe, and you'll see evidence in the food, the architecture, the manners, and in the bilingual road signs. The main towns of Trentino-Alto Adige are Trento and Bolzano (or Bozen to give it its German name) the capital of Alto Adige. Trento (Roman Tridentum) lies at the neck of the Adige Valley and in the shadow of the mighty Monte Bondone, while Bolzano is a lovely market town up in the Dolomites. To the north of Bolzano, the Alpe di Siusi grasslands form the largest Alpine plateau in Europe, stretching over 60km². There is excellent skiing of course, with the resorts of Val Gardena (Grodnertal) and Cortina d’Ampezzo, venue for the 1956 Winter Olympiad. And the hiking season fills the rest of the year from midsummer to the autumn.

As the name suggests, Trentino-Alto Adige is comprised of two separate areas. Trento refers to the southern part of the region and its capital is Trentino. The name Alto Adige identifies the northern territory of the region that includes the higher (alto) part of the Adige River.

Populated since the Bronze Age, the area was subsequently inhabited by the Celts and the Etruscans and later became part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century B.C. Roman colonisation brought about the construction of roads, building of cities, aqueducts and canals, and Roman law in addition to the subdivision and distribution of land to locals for cultivation. So they didn't do much then.

Following the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, the area underwent the same fate as many other parts of Italy. Subsequent waves of invaders occupied the region causing a centuries long period of economic and societal stagnation to settle in. It was in the Middle Ages that the current ethno-cultural mix composed of mostly Italian and Germanic people was formed. In fact, the region enjoys a special autonomous status and its inhabitants are bi-lingual.

The 20th century saw the development of tourist resorts in the area, especially in the beautiful Alpine zones of Alto Adige. The region's traditional festivals reflect the rich ethnic mixture that characterise Trentino-Alto Adige. Some traditions call on German roots, while others have strong Venetian or Lombardian influence. In addition, there are still isolated communities high on the Alps, such as Luserna or the Mocheni Valley, that trace their roots back to medieval times and maintain their own unique historic traditions.