Val Gardena – Gherdëina

General introduction
Val Gardena is located in the heart of the Dolomites, which are world-wide known for their vertical rock faces and the breathtaking views. Because of their uniqueness and extraordinary beauty, the UNESCO added these mountains to their list of the most beautiful and valuable landscapes of the world. They became a world natural heritage site on 26th June 2009.

The valley is part of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, which lies in the very north of the Italian Republic. South Tyrol borders in the south to the Italian Autonomous Province of Trento, in the southeast to the Italian Region Veneto, in the north to Austria, in the northwest to Switzerland and in the west to the Italian Region Lombardy.

During history, this area stood under various reigns until it was annexed to Italy in 1920. Before this date, it belonged to Tyrol, then part of Austro-Hungary. Thus, still nowadays, the majority of the people in South Tyrol speaks German. Not only the linguistic diversity but also the special South Tyrolean culture have contributed 1972 to the recognition of the Statute of Autonomy by the Italian Republic.

South Tyrol is considered an enviable autonomy model sought for by quite a few minority groups. This model is based on the peaceful coexistence of three different language groups: the Italian, the German and the Ladin one.
Ladin is spoken in all five valleys around the Sella Group: in Val Gardena, in Val Badia, in Val di Fassa, in Ampezzo and in Livinallongo.

Ladin is a Romance language. It originated through the fusion of the Rhaetic language with the Latin one, which around 15 BC spread in the Alps through the Roman conquerors. Up until a few centuries ago, this Rhaeto-Romance language was spoken in a big area of the Alps. In the course of years, it almost completely disappeared because of the influence of the German language from the north and the Italian one from the south. Besides the Ladin areas in the Dolomites, there are two more Rhaeto-Romance linguistic enclaves: one is to be found in the Grisons in Switzerland and the other one in the Italian Autonomous Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The majority of the people of Val Gardena (about 85-90 %) speaks Ladin as well as German and Italian. This is, among other things, promoted through a multilingual school system: the pupils are in contact with the three languages, used also as medium of teaching, from the very first day on. In addition, there are several cultural institutions which promote the research, the use and the dissemination of the Ladin language editing newspapers as well as television and radio programmes, composing and collecting literature and dictionaries and organizing concerts, expositions and other events. Hence, the valley is officially trilingual. This can also be seen looking at the place names listed always in all three languages.

The first settlements
The first human settlements in Val Gardena date back to the prehistory. Some findings like arrowheads, needles and other tools, which were found at the foot of the Sella Group, are proof of an early settlement of this area around 6000 BC. It is probable that the objects belong to wandering hunters, who stayed in the valley in the summer months in search of food. Other important findings come from the Col de Flam above Ortisei: the iron axes, fibulae of bronze, jewellery, Gallic swords and various tools are dated back to 400 BC.

The first sedentary people in Val Gardena are the Rhaetics. In 15 BC the Roman general Drusus conquers the alpine areas and pushes the Rhaetic people back into the valleys which are difficult to access. The origin of this people is still not certain: maybe they were small groups of Ligurians, Illyrian Veneti, Etruscans, Gauls and Nordic people who were named so by the Romans.

Name origin
The name of Val Gardena originates from the Latin “forestum ad Gredine” meaning “woodland in Val Gardena”. This designation is to be found in a document of 999 AD, which certifies the handing over of this area by Count Otto von Andechs to Bishop Gottschalk of Freising. The reason of this donation is very interesting: as in those days it was believed that in 1000 AD the world would end, those who disposed over possessions donated a part of them to the Church in the hope of being rewarded in the afterlife.

Geography
Val Gardena is a tributary valley of Valle Isarco and extends from east to west for 25 km. The valley lies at an altitude ranging from 2244 m at the Passo Sella to 471 m in Ponte Gardena. In Pontives there is the German-Ladin linguistic boundary and the actual beginning of Val Gardena. Through the whole valley runs the Rio Gardena (German Grödner Bach, Ladin Derjon), which rises at the Passo Sella and joins the Isarco in Ponte Gardena. Val Gardena comprises three municipalities: Ortisei (German St. Ulrich, Ladin Urtijëi), S. Cristina (German St. Christina, Ladin S. Crestina) and Selva Gardena (German Wolkenstein, Ladin Sëlva). The localities Bulla (German Pufels, Ladin Bula), Roncadizza (German Runggaditsch, Ladin Runcadic) and Oltretorrente (German Überwasser, Ladin Sureghes) belong geographically and linguistically to Val Gardena but were annexed long ago to the municipality of Castelrotto (German Kastelruth, Ladin Ciastel).

Ortisei is the main village of the valley and has approximately 6000 inhabitants. The village can look back on a long and intensive history in the trade with wooden handicraft products and boasts four important churches: the medieval St. Jacob’s church, the St. Anthony’s church on the same-named square, the St. Anne’s cemetery church and the parish church consecrated to St. Ulderico. Because of the steady population growth, the main church, that is to say the parish church erected in 1342, was completely rebuilt in 1793 thanks to the magnanimity of the wealthy locals. The church was enriched with furnishings and ornaments made by the best artists and artisans of the valley.

S. Cristina lies in the geographical middle of the valley and has only approximately 1900 inhabitants, thus being the least populated municipality of the valley. It is located right in front of the symbol of Val Gardena, the majestic Sassolungo (3181 m), which is climbed by many mountaineers every year. With the construction of a bypass in 2009, it was possible to take away the traffic from the village centre. Since then, the locals and the numerous tourists enjoy a much quieter and more pleasant life in the centre.

Selva Gardena is situated at 1563 m and has about 2600 inhabitants. From the village, one can admire the Sella Group, the Sassolungo and the Puez. It borders in the east on the mountain passes which enable to drive round the Sella Group and to reach two more Ladin valleys: the Val Badia crossing the Passo Gardena and the Val di Fassa crossing the Passo Sella. Selva Gardena is one of the most popular holiday destinations in winter as well as in summer.

Climate
Despite the altitude, the climate in Val Gardena is relatively mild thanks to the influence of the moderate climate of Valle Isarco. The sunniest month is July: the highest temperatures measured are around 25°C. The valley is though well-protected from oppressiveness, which is to be found in some of the lower situated valleys. The warmest summer months are July and August. The autumn is normally milder than the spring. The months November and December are moderately cold with little precipitation. The winter is characterized by abundant snowfall as well as cold and dry but mainly sunny days. January is the coldest month of the year even if the snowfalls in February are undeniably stronger.

As the valley opens only towards west, it is well-protected against the cold north winds. The mountains Seceda, Odle and Puez are natural barriers of the valley, in which foggy or windy days are very rare. Nevertheless, the climatic disadvantages in the alpine regions should not be underestimated, as the spring starts considerably late and when, for example, in Ortisei the first trees are blooming, in Bolzano the first cherries can already be picked.

The houses are built in an area going from 1150 to 1700 m. Especially disadvantaged are those which are located on the shady side of the valley. The location can therefore play a bigger role than the altitude.

The climatic conditions of the valley are not suited for the cereal cropping such as wheat, rye, barley or oat. Therefore, the agricultural land is used almost exclusively as meadows or pastures. Val Gardena is more suited for livestock farming due to the excellent hay which is cut in the high mountain regions. This hay is also used for the so-called “hay baths”, an activity spread above all on the Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest high plateau.

Even today, large areas of the mountain sides are covered by woods, above all in the municipality of Ortisei. The forests are made up of conifers, as it is the case also in the rest of South Tyrol. Leaf trees are rather rare and the few which grow in the valley are to be found close to the Rio Gardena. The tree line is at about 2150 m, whereas at an altitude of about 2300 m only small trees grow. The woods are composed mainly of spruces and larches but also firs and pines can be found.

The successful combination of tourism and traditional handcraft
The most important economic sector in Val Gardena is tourisms, but traditional handcraft follows right behind it. It is those two economic sectors which have made Val Gardena known worldwide.

The beauty of the mountains and the excellent tourist infrastructure make it possible to spend unforgettable summer and winter holidays in the valley, doing sports and enjoying being in close touch with nature. In the winter months, Val Gardena offers numerous lifts and cableways for the skiing enthusiasts and many kilometres of cross-country ski runs. In the summer, the breathtaking alpine landscape is the perfect setting for walking, hiking, climbing and mountain biking.

However, seen from a historical perspective, the basis for Val Gardena’s economic boom are sculpting and wood carving. Over many centuries, this economic sector has employed many families of the valley. Still nowadays there are numerous firms, independent sculptors and art as well as vocational schools which still perform this activity and which are the pride of the people of Val Gardena.

The wooden works of art of Val Gardena are known all over the world. It is in fact unthinkable not to mention Val Gardena when talking of wooden sculptures. The beauty and the uniqueness of the products of Val Gardena proof that a cultivated tradition can become a synonym for quality. Many wooden articles are produced in the valley: religious figures such as Madonnas, crucifixes, nativity scenes, saints, angels and holy water receptacles, secular figures such as animals, skiers, masks, clowns, historic or famous personalities and also design objects such as chairs, tables, mirrors, lamps, nutcracker and many more articles.

The Ladin language and the museum
As already mentioned, Ladin is the oldest language in the Alpine region: it emerged in the 1st century AD from the fusion of the Celtic culture of the Rhaetic people and the Roman one. The various migrations were a strong threat for this language. Luckily, is survived in some tributary valleys: in Val Gardena, Val Badia, Val di Fassa, Livinallongo, in the area around Cortina d’Ampezzo as well as in the Italian Autonomous Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia and in the Grisons in Switzerland.

The Ladin language is one of the most outstanding characteristic of Val Gardena and has attracted the interest of many linguists. Although it has some similarities with Italian, its orthography, vocabulary and pronunciation are yet very different. In addition, Ladin was born one thousand years before the Italian language, and it is not a dialect as many people erroneously still believe.

Unfortunately, the modern technological progress has forced the people of Val Gardena to use words of other languages in order to describe new concepts and objects which are not present in the original language. The majority of the assimilated words comes from German, Italian or English, what inevitably brings an impoverishment of the language with it.

An interesting fact is that knowing Ladin makes it easier for the people of Val Gardena to learn other languages. One of the first ones to show this phenomenon was the famous minnesinger Oswald von Wolkenstein, who on his numerous journeys confirmed that his knowledge of the Ladin language helped him a lot in learning other Romance languages.

The first one showing interest for the Ladin language from a philological point of view was the priest J. A. Vian of the municipality of Ortisei, who was from Val di Fassa. He analyzed thoroughly the Ladin grammar and vocabulary and collected the idiomatic forms of this language in a book. This study was the basis for the work of many other scholars. Nowadays, Ladin is officially recognized as a language and thousands of lemmata have been integrated with their translation and description in dictionaries. Some linguists estimate, that 80 % of the Ladin words originate from Vulgar Latin, 15 % from Germanic and the rest from the ancient language of the Rhaetic people.

In the Museum de Gherdëina in Ortisei, founded in 1960, many testimonials of the Ladin culture and tradition can be visited. The museum is located in the Cësa di Ladins (“House of the Ladins”) and hosts interesting collections documenting the wood carving evolution from the 16th century until today as well as geological and archaeological discoveries of the Dolomite area. A permanent exposition illustrates and commemorates the adventurous life of the famous film maker and mountaineer of Val Gardena Luis Trenker (1892-1990).

The museum and its activity such as the organisation of numerous cultural events as well as the promotion of historic and scientific research would not exist without the Union di Ladins de Gherdëina. This non-profit association was founded in 1946 and is part of the Union Generela di Ladins dla Dolomites, the most important cultural association of the Dolomite Ladin area. The Union di Ladins de Gherdëina promotes the Ladin language and culture through television and radio programmes as well as through publications, expositions, concerts and theatrical productions.