Urtijëi

Urtijëi
Comune
Chemun de Urtijëi
Gemeinde St. Ulrich
Comune di Ortisei
Urtijëi

Location of Urtijëi in Italy

Coordinates: 46°34′N 11°40′E / 46.567°N 11.667°ECoordinates: 46°34′N 11°40′E / 46.567°N 11.667°E
Country Italy
Region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Province South Tyrol (BZ)
Government
 • Mayor Ewald Moroder
Area
 • Total 24.3 km2 (9.4 sq mi)
Elevation 1,230 m (4,040 ft)
Population (Nov. 2010)[1]
 • Total 4,637
 • Density 190/km2 (490/sq mi)
Demonym Italian: gardenesi
German: Sankt Ulricher
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 39046
Dialing code 0471
Patron saint San Udalricus
Saint day July 4
Website Official website

Urtijëi (Ladin, pronounced  [ˈuʁtiʒɜi̯] ; German: St. Ulrich in Gröden; Italian: Ortisei) is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps.

Geography

Urtijëi borders the following municipalities: Kastelruth, Villnöß, Lajen and Santa Cristina Gherdëina.

History

The Ladin-language name Urtijëi derives from the Latin word urtica and the suffix -etum with the meaning "place of nettles".[2]

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 other parts of Austria-Hungary as well as the German Empire. Currently, the town's economy is mostly based on winter skiing tourism, summer hiking tourism, and woodcarving.

Coat of arms

The emblem shows Saint Ulrich, with the bishop's vestments and an or cross in his right hand, mounted on a horse, with or harness, on three vert mountains on or. The emblem is decorated with an 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.[3]

Main sights

Church of St. Jacob

Society

Linguistic distribution

According to the 2011 census, 84.19% of the population speaks Ladin, 9.30% German and 6.51% Italian as first language.[4]

Demographic history

Culture

Notable people

Family names

The most frequent family names in Urtijëi are:

References

  1. ↑ All demographics and other statistics from the Italian statistical institute (Istat)
  2. ↑ Kühebacher, Egon (1991), Die Ortsnamen Südtirols und ihre Geschichte. Die geschichtlich gewachsenen Namen der Gemeinden, Fraktionen und Weiler 1, Bolzano: Athesia, p. 502
  3. ↑ Heraldry of the World: Urtijëi
  4. ↑ "Volkszählung 2011/Censimento della popolazione 2011". astat info (Provincial Statistics Institute of the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol) (38): 6–7. June 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
  5. ↑ Chemun de Urtijëi, Nffurmazions. Mitteilungsblattt der Gemeinde St. Ulrich/Nr. 74 Jené 2013.

External links

Media related to Urtijëi at Wikimedia Commons