Braies
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol: a region with special status
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is an Italian region with special status, located in the northeast of the country. It has a population of around 1,078,893 and Trento is its capital city. It was assigned to Italy in 1919 by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, but unlike the annexation of pre-unitary states, no Risorgimento plebiscite was held to sanction the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.
Autonomy and Linguistic Composition
With the introduction of the new Autonomy Statute in 1972, many of the competences were directly transferred to the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano. This institutional structure is due to the different linguistic composition of the population, where almost everyone speaks Italian in Trentino, while in Alto Adige, the majority speak German, with exceptions of some municipalities where the linguistic majority is Italian (Bolzano, Bronzolo, Laives, Salorno, and Vadena) and others where the linguistic majority is Ladin (La Valle, Badia, Corvara in Badia, Marebbe, San Martino in Badia, Santa Cristina Valgardena, Selva di Val Gardena, and Ortisei).
Physical Geography
Trentino-Alto Adige is the most northern Italian region, mainly mountainous except for the Adige Valley and the Lake Valleys, considered as plains. There are two extensive flat areas in the autonomous province of Trento: the Piana Rotaliana and Basso Sarca. Mountain chains reach altitudes of over 3,900 meters, and the region is considered one of the lowest population-density areas in Italy, with a population density of 78.98 inhabitants per square kilometer, ranking fifth to last after Valle d'Aosta, Basilicata, Sardinia, and Molise in the ratio between the number of inhabitants and territorial surface
Cultural and Landscape Diversity
Considering the territory's orography, there are remarkable differences between the population density of the high mountain areas and that of the main valleys, particularly the Adige Valley where the cities of Trento and Bolzano are located. This cultural and landscape diversity makes Trentino-Alto Adige a unique region in Italy, and specifically, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano is known for being a popular vacation destination for both mountain lovers and tourists seeking relaxation.
Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino
Trentino-Alto Adige is part of the cross-border cooperation association of the European Union, the Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino, which brings together the territories of the former County of Tyrol, together with the Austrian state of Tyrol. Along with Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige belongs to the geographic macro-area of the Tre Venezie.
In conclusion, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is a unique region in Italy, characterized by strong cultural and landscape diversity, making it a popular vacation destination for tourists from all over the world. Its autonomy and particular linguistic composition are the result of a history and tradition that makes it unique in the national panorama.
