Graun im Vinschgau (; it, Curon Venosta ; rm, La Carun) is a ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' (municipality) and a village in
South Tyrol
it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol
, settlement_type = Autonomous province
, image_skyline =
, image_alt ...
in northern
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, located about northwest of
Bolzano
Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third ...
, on the border with
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
Geography
At 1 January 2011, it had a registered population of 2,447 and an area of .
[All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.]
The municipality contains the subdivisions Langtaufers/Vallelunga, Reschen/Resia, Rojen/Roja and Sankt Valentin auf der Haide/San Valentino alla Muta.
Adjacent municipalities:
Mals,
Kaunertal (Austria),
Nauders
Nauders ( rm, Danuder) is a municipality in the district of Landeck in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Geography
The municipal area is situated in a high valley of the Ötztal Alps north of the Alpine crest, at an altitude of . It is located about ...
(Austria),
Pfunds
Pfunds is a municipality in the district of Landeck in the Austrian state of Tyrol located 19.7 km south of the city of Landeck and 5 km north of the border to Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but ...
(Austria),
Sölden
Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.
Geography
At c. , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 (as of 2003) is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated. With to ...
(Austria),
Ramosch (Switzerland),
Sent (Switzerland), and
Tschlin (Switzerland).
The village of Graun borders the
Reschensee
Reschensee (; ; Italian: ''Lago di Resia'' ) or Lake Reschen is an artificial lake in the western portion of South Tyrol, Italy, approximately south of the Reschen Pass, which forms the border with Austria, and east of the mountain ridge formin ...
, which was massively deepened and extended when the valley was dammed in order to produce
hydro-electricity
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
. The original village was flooded after the dam's completion in July 1950; it had been abandoned and largely demolished, and Graun was rebuilt on the new shore. As the lone exception, the bell-tower of the 14th-century church was spared from destruction. The tower protrudes above the surface close to the shoreline and has become a landmark; it is the centrepiece of the commune's
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
. When water levels fall in the spring, particularly when repairs are made, the ruins of the old village are exposed.
History
In 15 BC the Celtic people then living in the upper
Vinschgau valley found themselves incorporated into the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
following the construction of a commercial and military route crossing the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
via what is now known as the
Reschen Pass
Reschen Pass (german: Reschenpass, ; it, Passo di Resia ) is a mountain pass across the main chain of the Alps, connecting the Upper Inn Valley in the northwest with the Vinschgau region in the southeast. Since 1919, the border between South T ...
, the route then being called the "
Via Claudia Augusta
The Via Claudia Augusta is an ancient Roman road, which linked the valley of the Po River with Rhaetia (encompassing parts of modern Eastern Switzerland, Northern Italy, Western Austria, Southern Germany and all of Liechtenstein) across the Al ...
".
The transalpine route retained its importance through the medieval period, being variously called the "Upper Way" (''Oberer Weg'' / ''Via Superiore'') or the "Swabia Road" (''Schwabenweg'' / ''Via di Svevia'').
After 450, a wave of Christian missionaries arrived from
Chur
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers
, twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxe ...
. By the time of the
Black death
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
(1348), from which most of the population of the time died, most of the Vinschgau Valley, including Graun, had been settled by German speakers; the exception being the side valley of
Müstair
Müstair is a village in the Val Müstair municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Müstair merged with Fuldera, Lü, Switzerland, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Tschierv and Valchava to form Val Müstair. , where the
Romansh language
Romansh (; sometimes also spelled Romansch and Rumantsch; Sursilvan: ; Vallader, Surmiran, and Rumantsch Grischun: ; Putèr: ; Sutsilvan: , , ; Jauer: ) is a Gallo-Romance language spoken predominantly in the Swiss canton of the Gr ...
survives to this day. German has remained the majority language in Graun since and as of 2011 German was the first language for more than 97% of its population.
Coat-of-arms
The escutcheon is
party per fess,
azure on the bottom and
argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to ...
on the upper part, separated by a thin
vert
Vert or Verts may refer to:
* Vert (heraldry), the colour green in heraldry
* Vert (music producer) (born 1972), pseudonym of Adam Butler, an English music producer
* Vert (river), in southern France
* Vert (sport), a competition in extreme versi ...
stripe. At the center is shown a gray bell tower, with three windows and an azure point, representing the church bell tower still visible in the lake after the construction of the dam. The emblem was granted in 1967.
Society
Linguistic distribution
According to the 2011 census, 97.34% of the population speak
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and 2.66% Italian as first language, a ratio that had hardly moved since the 2001 census.
Demographic evolution
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Transportation
The municipality is served by public bus. Destinations include Mals to the south; and Nauders, Austria; and
Martina, Switzerland
Martina (Romansh; rare German: ''Martinsbruck'') is a village in the Lower Engadine valley, in Graubünden, Switzerland. Its border crossing leads to Nauders in Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, ...
, to the north.
In popular culture
The supernatural drama television series ''
Curon'' was primarily shot in the town and the surrounding locations.
References
External links
Homepage of the municipality
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graun Im Vinschgau
Municipalities of South Tyrol
Former populated places in Italy