Villandro
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol is located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region and is the largest province in Italy, covering an area of 7,400 square kilometers and a population of approximately 533,175 inhabitants. The region is closely linked to Tyrol (Austria) for linguistic and cultural reasons, and is part of the Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino. Additionally, the province belongs to the Triveneto macro-region.
The official designation
The official designation of the province is "province of Bolzano" or "Autonomous Province of Bolzano," accompanied by the corresponding translation in German, "Provinz Bozen" or "Autonome Provinz Bozen". However, article 116 of the Italian Constitution states the term "Alto Adige/Südtirol". The entity uses the dual designation "Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol" (translated in German as "Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol") in all its acts. The inhabitants of the province are generally referred to as "Altoatesini," while the Italian language also often uses the terms "Sud Tirolo," "Sudtirolo," or "Tirolo del sud" for the province of Bolzano and "sudtirolesi" for its German or Ladin-speaking inhabitants.
The Ladin form
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" or "Provinzia Autonoma de Bulsan - Südtirol". During the Austro-Hungarian domination, the territory of today's province of Bolzano was also known as "Mitteltirol," i.e., Central Tyrol, while "Südtirol" (South Tyrol) often referred to the present-day Trentino or the entire southern part of Tyrol (essentially Trentino-Alto Adige). The use of the term "Südtirol" to indicate the territory between Brenner and Salorno would therefore be unjustified, according to some authors.
Conclusion
In summary, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol is the largest province in Italy and is located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. The region is closely linked to Tyrol (Austria) for linguistic and cultural reasons. The official designation of the entity is "Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol" (translated in German as "Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol"). The inhabitants of the province are generally referred to as "Altoatesini," while the Italian language also uses the terms "Sud Tirolo," "Sudtirolo," or "Tirolo del sud" for the province of Bolzano and "sudtirolesi" for its German or Ladin-speaking inhabitants. The Ladin form is usually rendered as "Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan - Südtirol" or "Provinzia Autonoma de Bulsan - Südtirol" in provincial acts.
