Urtijëi
Encyclopedia
Urtijëi is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol
, in the Italian
region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites
, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps
. The name derives from the Latin
urticetum ("place of nettle
s").
Urtijëi borders the following municipalities: Kastelruth
, Villnöß, Lajen
and Santa Cristina Gherdëina.
is mostly based on winter ski
ing tourism, summer hiking
tourism, and woodcarving.
cross in his right hand, mounted on a horse, with or harness, on three vert
mountains on or. The emblem is decorated with a azure
chief
, with three small shields alternating with two or bees; the bees symbolize the laboriousness of the inhabitants. The coat of arms was granted in 1907 and reappointed in 1970.
, 12.13% German and 5.55% Italian as first language.
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
, in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites
Dolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. The name derives from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
urticetum ("place of nettle
Nettle
Nettles constitute between 24 and 39 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan though mainly temperate distribution. They are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annual and a few are shrubby...
s").
Urtijëi borders the following municipalities: Kastelruth
Kastelruth
Kastelruth is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 70 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 20 km northeast of the city of Bolzano ....
, Villnöß, Lajen
Lajen
Lajen is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 70 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 20 km northeast of the city of Bolzano ....
and Santa Cristina Gherdëina.
History
From 1860 to 1914 Urtijëi experienced a relevant economical growth due to the opening of a major road connecting Val Gardena to the main railroad; as a result the local woodcarving industry flourished. International tourism developed through the discovery of the Dolomites first by English tourists, and subsequently visitors from Austria and Germany. Currently, the town's economyEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
is mostly based on winter ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
ing tourism, summer hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
tourism, and woodcarving.
Coat-of-arms
The emblem show St. Ulrich, with the bishop's vestments and an orOr (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
cross in his right hand, mounted on a horse, with or harness, on three vert
Vert
The colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period....
mountains on or. The emblem is decorated with a azure
Azure
In heraldry, azure is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation....
chief
Chief (heraldry)
In heraldic blazon, a chief is a charge on a coat of arms that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the top edge of the shield. Writers disagree in how much of the shield's surface is to be covered by the chief, ranging from one-fourth to one-third. The former is more likely if the...
, with three small shields alternating with two or bees; the bees symbolize the laboriousness of the inhabitants. The coat of arms was granted in 1907 and reappointed in 1970.
Main sights
- Museum GherdëinaMuseum GherdëinaThe Gherdëina Local Heritage Museum was opened in the Cësa di Ladins in Urtijëi in 1960. The building is the seat of the Union di Ladins de Gherdëina a cultural organisation for the keeping of the Ladin language and heritage in Val Gherdëina...
, the local heritage museum - Parish Church of Urtijëi
Linguistic distribution
According to the 2001 census, 82.32% of the population speaks LadinLadin
Ladin is a language consisting of a group of dialects spoken in the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy in the border regions of the provinces Trentino, South Tyrol and Belluno...
, 12.13% German and 5.55% Italian as first language.
Notable people associated with Urtijëi
- Carolina KostnerCarolina KostnerCarolina Kostner is an Italian figure skater. She is a three-time World medalist , a three-time European champion , a three-time Grand Prix Final medalist , the 2003 World Junior bronze medalist, and a six-time Italian Champion.-Personal life:Carolina Kostner was born...
- Giorgio MoroderGiorgio MoroderHansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
- Isolde KostnerIsolde KostnerIsolde Kostner is an Italian former Alpine skier who won two bronze medals at the 1994 Winter Olympics and 1 silver medal at 2002 Winter Olympics...
- Josef Moroder-LusenbergJosef Moroder-LusenbergJosef Theodor Moroder, named the Lusenberger was a painter and sculptor, the most prominent artist of the Moroder family from the Grödenthal in South Tyrol now the Val Gardena in Italy.-Life:...
- Ernesto PrinothErnesto PrinothErnesto Prinoth was a racing driver from Italy, and founder of Prinoth AG, manufacturer of snow grooming vehicles and equipment....
- Luis TrenkerLuis TrenkerLuis Trenker was a German-language South Tyrolian film director, architect, and actor.-Biography:...