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Presentation of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol
Hello everyone! Are you ready to discover the Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol, the largest province in Italy? This territory, which has about 533,175 inhabitants, is located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy, but is closely linked linguistically and culturally to Tyrol (Austria). Together with the Autonomous Province of Trento and Tyrol, it forms the Euregio Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino and belongs to the macro-geographic area of Triveneto, along with Trentino, Veneto, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Toponymy of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol
But what is the actual name of this province? Its name in the Special Statute Region of 1972 and subsequent state implementing laws is "Province of Bolzano" or "Autonomous Province of Bolzano", accompanied by the official German translation ("Provinz Bozen" or "Autonome Provinz Bozen"). However, article 116 of the Italian Constitution, starting from the constitutional reform of 2001, states "South Tyrol/Alto Adige": "The Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Region is constituted by the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano".
Thus, the province uses the double name "Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol" (officially translated into German as "Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol"). The inhabitants are generally called "Altoatesini", but in Italian, one can also use "South Tyrol", "Sudtirolo" or "Tirolo del Sud" for the Province of Bolzano and "sudtirolesi" for its German or Ladin-speaking inhabitants.
The Ladin form is not mentioned in the autonomy statute or other state laws, but in provincial acts, it is usually rendered as "Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan - Südtirol" (in the Badioto dialect variant) or "Provinzia Autonoma de Bulsan - Südtirol" (in the Gardenese dialect variant).
During the Habsburg domination, the territory of today's Province of Bolzano was also known as "Mitteltirol", meaning central Tyrol, while with "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 Italian-speaking "italienisches Südtirol", "Welschsüdtirol" or "Welschtirol" (the Trentino) and German-speaking "Deutschsüdtirol" (today's South Tyrol). However, according to some authors, the use of the term "Südtirol" to indicate the territory between Brenner and Salorno would be unjustified. In any case, in the 1915 Pact of London, article 4 expressly spoke of "Trentino" and "cisalpine Tyrol" (south of Brenner) separately.
Conclusion
Here is a brief overview of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol, a bilingual and bicultural land that deserves to be discovered for its history, culture, traditions, and natural beauty. If you are looking for a unique and unforgettable experience, do not hesitate to visit and be surprised by its Alpine landscapes, gastronomy, and cultural events. Thank you for reading and see you soon with other adventures!
