Marlengo
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol is the largest province in Italy, with an area of about 7,400 km² and a population of over 530,000 inhabitants. It is located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, on the border with Austria, and together with the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Austrian Tyrol, it constitutes the Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino. The province is linguistically and culturally linked to Tyrol. In addition, it is part of the Triveneto geographical macro-region, together with the provinces of Trento, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Toponymy
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol has many denominations. In the special statute region, the province is called "Province of Bolzano" or "Autonomous Province of Bolzano" and the official translation in German is "Provinz Bozen" or "Autonome Provinz Bozen". The Constitution of the Italian Republic of 2001 reports the wording "Alto Adige/Südtirol".
Therefore, the entity uses the double name "Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol" (in German "Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol") in all its acts. The inhabitants of the province are called "Alto Adigeans," but there are also other designations used, such as "South Tyrol," "Sudtirolo" or "Tyrol of the South" for the province of Bolzano and "sudtirolesi" for its German or Ladin-speaking inhabitants.
The history of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol
During the Habsburg domination, the territory of today's Bolzano Province was known as "Mitteltirol," or central Tyrol, while "Südtirol" (South Tyrol) often referred to today's Trentino or the entire southern part of Tyrol (essentially Trentino-Alto Adige), where a distinction was made between the Italian southern Tyrol ("italienisches Südtirol," "Welschsüdtirol" or "Welschtirol," Trentino) and the German ("Deutschsüdtirol," today's Alto Adige).
In the Treaty of London of 1915, Article 4 specifically referred to "Trentino" and "Cisalpine Tyrol" (south of Brenner) separately. After the First World War, the territory was assigned to Italy and a process of Italianization began. In 1939, the province was renamed "Alto Adige," and in 1948 autonomy was granted. With the advent of the Constitution of the Italian Republic of 1948, the province became part of Trentino-Alto Adige.
Language and culture
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol has a unique linguistic distribution. Most of the population speaks German as a mother tongue, but there are also Ladin and Italian speakers. In some municipalities, such as Val di Fassa and Val di Non, the Trentino dialect is also spoken. In general, the province has a strong cultural identity and local traditions are very important to the inhabitants.
Economy
The economy of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol is mainly based on agriculture, livestock farming, and tourism. The production of wine and apples is very important, as well as that of milk and cheese. South Tyrol is also a very popular tourist destination, especially in winter, thanks to the numerous ski slopes and lifts present in the mountains.
Conclusions
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol is a very special and distinct region within Italy, with a long and interesting history, a unique culture, and an economy based on agriculture and tourism. The linguistic plurality of the region, with a strong use of German, makes South Tyrol a unique and fascinating land.
