Upper Adige Attractions

The Alto Adige (Upper Adige) lies in the extreme north of Italy on the southern fringe of the Alps. The area extends north-south from the Brenner to the Saluner Klause, on the west it is bounded by the Resia (Rentschen) pass and the Stilfser Joch, and on the east by the Pusteria valley (Pustertal) and the Kreuzbergpass. The situation of the Alto Adige gives it a varied range of topography from the eternal snow of the great glaciated peaks of the Central Alps and the Ortles group (3,902m/12,877ft) to the Mediterranean climate and Merano area.

Geology

The geological structure is determined by the girdle of ancient Alpine rocks (gneisses, granites, schists and quartz phyllites) in the north and west, the considerable area of dolomitic limestone crags in the east and the great spread of porphyries around Bolzano in the south, extending far into the neighboring Trentino.

Climate

The climate of the region reflects its geographical diversity, ranging from the Alpine conditions of the mountain valleys with their abundance of snow through the normal European climate of the intermediate areas to the Mediterranean type, with mild winters and sometimes very hot summers, of the wide valleys of the Adige and the Isarco with their southern exposure and their sheltered situation, protected from the north winds by the mountains. The Val Venosta in the west of the region has the reputation of being the driest valley in the Eastern Alps; in the north it has an Alpine climate, but in the southern part it approximates to the climatic pattern of Merano.

The population of the Alto Adige is mixed, consisting of Germans, Italians, and Ladins, the descendants of the original Rhaeto-Romanic inhabitants; and, lying as it does on one of the great European transit routes from north to south, it has suffered many vicissitudes in the course of its history, from the time of the Great Migrations to the present day. The German-speaking population of 280,000 have German schools; they can develop their cultural life freely, and their language has equal status with that of the 124,000 Italians who live chiefly in the towns. The culture and language of the Ladins, some 18,000 in number, are also protected. Nearly the entire population (98%) is Roman Catholic, no matter which ethnic group they belong to. Each linguistic group is entitled to a proportionate share of posts in the government service.

History

This begins with the finds of Neolithic material in the south of the region and Bronze Age material in the Alpine territory. The indigenous population, known to the Romans as Rhaetians but subject also to Celto-Illyrian, Ligurian and Etruscan influences, were incorporated in the Roman Empire by Augustus in 15 B.C. and over the course of half a millennium were Romanised, at least in language. During the period of the Great Migrations this relatively thinly settled region, occupied by peoples who were now known as Raeto-Romanic, saw the passage of the invading Gothics and Lombards, but the first invaders to settle here were the Bajuwari, who had occupied the whole of the region by the end of the sixth century, making it a purely German-speaking area, along the fringes of which (the Dolomite valleys, the Val Venosta) the Rhaeto-Romanic population have contrived to survive down to modern times, perserving at least in part their language and their way of life as in the Val Gádera (Gadertal and Val Gardena (Gröden)). The Alto Adige then became a part of the Frankish kingdom, and at the beginning of the 11th century passed into the hands of the prince-bishops of Trento and Bressanone, whose lay governors, principally the Counts of Tirol, sought to unite their territories. These territories, lying on both sides of the Brenner, fell into the hands of the Habsburgs in 1363 and remained Austrian until 1918, with a short interruption during the Napoleonic period (Andreas Hofer's successful rising and subsequent defeat). Thereafter South Tirol became Italian against its will and was subjected to a process of denationalisation under Fascist rule. After the Second World War, under the Treaty of Paris, the region was granted a substantial measure of self-government.

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Read More Alto Adige - Architecture

The vicissitudes of history are reflected in the art and architecture of Alto Adige, with examples of Romanesque (Val Venosta, San Cándido Cathedral), a rich range of Gothic (frescoes, altars with side panels) and major works of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The Alto Adige is also notable for its numerous fortified castles.

Survey of art Romanesque style

A short survey of art and architecture can properly begin in the Val Venosta, which has mainly work in Romanesque style but also monuments dating back to the early days of Christianity, such as the crypt of Monte Maria (Marienberg) abbey, the Carolingian church of San Benedetto in Malles (Mals), numerous other churches in the valley which now stand empty, and above all San Prócolo at Naturno (Naturns), with the oldest surviving wall paintings in German-speaking territory. Other fine examples of Romanesque architecture which must be seen are the doorways in Castel Tirolo (Schloss Tirol) with their carved bestiary and the completely preserved cathedral at San Cándido (Innichen) in the Val Pusteria.

Gothic style

Bolzano (Bozen) offers fine examples of Gothic, in particular its late Gothic cathedral and the altar by Michael Pacher (Coronation of the Virgin) in the old parish church of Gries. There are some fine exhibits to be seen in Bolzano Museum and the Diocesan Museum in Bressanone (Brixen). Both of these museums also contain Baroque pictures, while some of the finest painting to be found in the Alpine countries can be seen in the famous cloisters of the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries in Bolzano and in those of Novacella (Neustift) and above all Bressanone.

Baroque style

The Alto Adige is poor in major buildings of the Baroque period, apart from the beautiful church at Dobbiaco (Toblach) in the Val Pusteria. The finest Baroque palace in the region, Castello Mareta (Wolfsthurn), lies in the Val Ridanna, a remote side valley near Vipiteno.

Folk art and traditions

Folk art and traditions have always been important to the inhabitants of the Alto Adige. In Teodone (Dietenheim), near Brunico (Bruneck), the regional folk museum has an interesting collection and an open air department. Fine examples of the craftmanship of the Alto Adige can also be seen in the Folk Museum in Innsbruck (Austria). Old traditions are well maintained by the many local bands with their smart costumes. The beautiful old peasant costumes are still worn in the Val Sarentina, during the ordinary working week and not merely on special occasions. The pre-Christmas period is celebrated here with an old tradition, the so-called "Klöckeln", an ancient fertility cult combined with later Christian elements. The Corpus Christi procession of Castelrotto (Kastelruth) is famous, and many towns and villages, particularly in the mountain valleys, still have impressive processions which show a charateristic combination of genuine piety with attachment to traditional practices.

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