Province of Belluno

Province of Belluno
Province

Coat of arms

Map highlighting the location of the province of Belluno in Italy
Country  Italy
Region Veneto
Capital(s) Belluno
Comuni 69
Government
  President Vittorio Capocelli Prefectural Commissioner
Area
  Total 3,678 km2 (1,420 sq mi)
Population (2012)
  Total 212,667
  Density 58/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 32100
Telephone prefix 0437
Vehicle registration BL
ISTAT 025

The Province of Belluno (Italian: Provincia di Belluno; German: Provinz Belluno) is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Belluno.

It has an area of 3,678 square kilometres (1,420 sq mi) and a total population of about 200,000.

Geography

The province of Belluno is rather wide, and almost entirely occupied by mountain areas. It encompasses the natural and historical regions of Cadore, Feltrino, Alpago, Val di Zoldo, Agordino, Comelico and Ampezzano. The eastern part of the province features the Dolomites, including the famous Tofane, Marmolada, Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Antelao. The province is rich in water, with the presence of the wide Piave River, with its affluents Boite and Cordevole.

The southern part is called Valbelluna, the widest and most populous valley of the province, which is bordered by the Venetian Prealps. The National Park of Belluno Dolomites is located in the province.

Climate

The province of Belluno's climate is among the most severe in the Alps. It is mostly influenced by the continentally, provided by the Dolomites and it is very similar to the eastern Tyrol's climate, or even more severe in the Prealps of the southern side.

The province may be divided in the following climatic zones:

History

Gray wolf killed at Malga Campo Bon (Comelico) on 24th May 1929 by Antonio "Tunin" Mina.

The most ancient archeological finding in the province is that of Lagole di Calalzo, in Cadore, belonging to a c. 5th century BC sanctuary dedicated to a health god of Paleoveneti. A greater site, a necropolis, has been excavated in the comune of Mel. Findings from these sites are now housed in the Museums of Pieve di Cadore and Mel.

From 1420 until 1797, the area of Belluno was part of the Republic of Venice. When is conquered by the French, those who yield to Austria as a part of Venetian Province. Remained under Austrian control after the Napoleonic Wars, into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia until 1866, when pass to Kingdom of Italy. In 1923 the Province of Belluno, obtained Cortina d'Ampezzo, Saint Lucia and Livinallongo Colle del Col di Lana already part of Austria Hungary (Tyrol).

In 1943, when the Italian government signed an armistice with the Allies, the province was occupied by Germany, which reorganised it as the Operation Zone of the Alpine Foothills and put it under the administration of Gauleiter Franz Hofer. The region was de facto annexed to the German Reich (with the addition of the regio of Trentino-Südtirol) until the end of the war. This status ended along with the Nazi regime and Italian rule was restored in 1945.

Economy

Until recently, the province's economy was based on poor mountain agriculture, now less important, with the exception of the cultivation of beans in the Lamon highlands and the production of Piave cheese in the Dolomites valleys. Today, Belluno has one of the most important industrial sectors of northern Italy, the production of eyeglasses (Luxottica has its headquarters in Agordo, for example). Also important are the manufacturing sectors of home appliances (Zanussi and others) and bathroom fixtures (Ceramica Dolomite, IdealStandard).

One of the most important factors of the Bellunese economy is tourism. Cortina d'Ampezzo, Alleghe, Arabba, Sappada, and other locations are renowned in Italy and abroad.

Linguistic minorities

In the province, language minorities are present, which are now recognized by law:

Inhabitants with foreign citizenship

The top ten countries of origin of the inhabitants of Belluno with foreign citizenship at December 31, 2010 were:[1]

Comuni

There are 69 comuni (singular: comune) in the province. As of June 30, 2005, the main comuni by population are:

Comune Population
Belluno 36,112
Feltre 20,122
Sedico 9,174
Ponte nelle Alpi 8,180
Santa Giustina 6,517
Mel 6,288
Cortina d'Ampezzo 6,216
Limana 4,670
Trichiana 4,604
Pedavena 4,435
Agordo 4,225
Longarone 4,114
Cesiomaggiore 4,096
Pieve di Cadore 4,017

References

  1. ISTAT. "Belluno". ISTAT. Retrieved 2012-06-06.

External links

Coordinates: 46°8′27″N 12°12′56″E / 46.14083°N 12.21556°E

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