San Martino in Passiria
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol is the northernmost province of Italy, located within the Trentino-Alto Adige region. It is the largest province in Italy, with a population of 533,175 and an area of 7,404 km². The province is part of the Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino, corresponding (with good approximation) to the territory of Tyrol.
Toponymy
The official name of the province, as stated in the special status region of 1972 and subsequent state laws, is Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige, accompanied by the official German translation (Provinz Bozen or Autonome Provinz Bozen). The inhabitants of the province are generally referred to as "Alto Adigeans".
It is also possible to use "South Tyrol" or "Südtirol" for the province of Bolzano and "Südtirolers" for its German or Ladin-speaking inhabitants. During the Habsburg domination, the territory of the present-day province of Bolzano was known as Mitteltirol, meaning Central Tyrol, while Südtirol (South Tyrol) often referred to present-day Trentino or the entire southern part of Tyrol.
The dual naming
The institution uses the dual name Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige (officially translated into German as Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol) in all its acts.
The Ladin form is not mentioned in the autonomy statute or in other State laws, but is often used in the province's documents as "Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan - Südtirol" or "Provinzia Autonoma de Bulsan - Südtirol".
Habsburg domination
During the Habsburg domination, the territory of the present-day province of Bolzano was known as Mitteltirol, while Südtirol (South Tyrol) often referred to present-day Trentino or the entire southern part of Tyrol.
The use of the term "Südtirol" to indicate the territory between Brenner and Salorno would, according to some authors, be unjustified. In any case, in the Pact of London of 1915, Article 4 expressly mentioned Trentino and Cisalpine Tyrol separately.
Conclusions
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol is one of the largest and most populated provinces in Italy, and is the northernmost of the Trentino-Alto Adige region. The dual naming of Bolzano and Alto Adige allows for respect of the tradition and culture of the area and includes both the Italian and the German or Ladin-speaking community.
Although the use of the term South Tyrol is still common, it is important to remember that its use does not always reflect the complexity of the history and the region itself.
