Resia (
Resian
The Resian dialect or simply Resian (self-designation Standard , Bila , Osoanë , Solbica ; sl, rezijansko narečje , ; ) is a distinct variety in the South Slavic continuum, generally considered a Slovene dialect spoken in the Resia Valley, ...
: ; sl, Rezija; fur, Resie) 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) in the
Province of Udine
The province of Udine ( it, provincia di Udine, fur, provincie di Udin, sl, videmska pokrajina, Resian dialect, Resian: , german: Provinz Weiden) was a Provinces of Italy, province in the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia of Italy, borderi ...
, in the
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
(man), it, Friulana (woman), it, Giuliano (man), it, Giuliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_t ...
region of 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 re ...
, bordering on the municipalities of
Chiusaforte
Chiusaforte ( sl, Kluže, german: Klausen, fur, Sclûse) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Geography
It is located about northwest of Trieste and about north of Udine, on th ...
,
Lusevera
Lusevera ( sl, Bardo; fur, Lusevare) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about north of Udine, on the border with Slovenia, and borders the f ...
,
Resiutta
Resiutta ( fur, Resiùte, sl, Na Bili) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Udine, in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about north of Udine. As of 31 December 2014 it had a population ...
, and
Venzone
Venzone ( fur, Vençon, sl, Pušja vas, german: Peuscheldorf) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Udine in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Geography
It is located in the historic Friuli region, about northwest of Tri ...
, and also on two of the
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
n municipalities (
Kobarid
Kobarid (; it, Caporetto, fur, Cjaurêt, german: Karfreit) is a settlement in Slovenia, the administrative centre of the Municipality of Kobarid.
Kobarid is known for the 1917 Battle of Caporetto, where the Italian retreat was documented by Erne ...
and
Bovec
Bovec ( or ; , german: Flitsch, fur, Plèz) is a town in the Littoral region in northwestern Slovenia, close to the border with Italy. It is the central settlement of the Municipality of Bovec.
Geography
Bovec is located from the capital Ljublj ...
). Its residents speak an archaic dialect known as
Resian
The Resian dialect or simply Resian (self-designation Standard , Bila , Osoanë , Solbica ; sl, rezijansko narečje , ; ) is a distinct variety in the South Slavic continuum, generally considered a Slovene dialect spoken in the Resia Valley, ...
, which is - according to most linguists - a transitional dialect between the
Carinthian
Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Bavarian group. Carint ...
and
Littoral
The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...
dialects of
Slovene. Although they maintain their own traditional system of family names, which are of
Slavic origin, the people of Resia have either Italian or Italianized surnames, similarly to some areas in
Venetian Slovenia
Slavia Friulana, which means Friulian Slavia ( sl, Beneška Slovenija), is a small mountainous region in northeastern Italy and it is so called because of its Slavic population which settled here in the 8th century AD. The territory is located in ...
.
It is located in the alpine valley of the same name in the
Julian Alps
The Julian Alps ( sl, Julijske Alpe, it, Alpi Giulie, , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large pa ...
, about northwest of
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
and about north of
Udine
Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...
, on the border with
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
and around from 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 ...
. As of 1 January 2015, it had a population of 1,048 and an area of .
[All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute ]Istat
The Italian National Institute of Statistics ( it, Istituto nazionale di statistica; Istat) is the main producer of official statistics in Italy. Its activities include the census of population, economic censuses and a number of social, economic ...
.
Geographical location
The municipality comprises the Resia Valley, a typical Alpine
glacial valley
U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight s ...
, surrounded by high mountains of the
Julian Alps
The Julian Alps ( sl, Julijske Alpe, it, Alpi Giulie, , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large pa ...
, with a narrow opening towards the west. The valley is located on the western edge of a high
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
of the Julian Alps. To the east, it is closed by the
Kanin mountain group also of the Julian Alps, which separates it from the
Soča
The Soča ( in Slovene) or Isonzo ( in Italian; other names fur, Lusinç, german: Sontig, la, Aesontius or ') is a long river that flows through western Slovenia () and northeastern Italy ().
An Alpine river in character, its source lies in ...
valley in the
Slovenian Littoral
The Slovene Littoral ( sl, Primorska, ; it, Litorale; german: Küstenland) is one of the five traditional regions of Slovenia. Its name recalls the former Austrian Littoral (''Avstrijsko Primorje''), the Habsburg possessions on the upper Ad ...
. To the west, the valley opens towards the Fella valley, which leads to the upper
Friuli
Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity containing 1,000,000 Friulians. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giulia ...
an plain. This is the most usual way to access this isolated valley.
To the south-east of the Resia Valley, there is a narrow mountain pass, called Carnizza ( sl, Karnica), leading from Resia Valley to the upper
Torre Valley ( sl, Terska dolina). The same mountain pass also leads to the Učja Canyon (Uccea), which ends in the
Soča
The Soča ( in Slovene) or Isonzo ( in Italian; other names fur, Lusinç, german: Sontig, la, Aesontius or ') is a long river that flows through western Slovenia () and northeastern Italy ().
An Alpine river in character, its source lies in ...
valley near the Slovenian village of
Žaga. For centuries, this narrow pass was the only way connecting the Resia Valley with
Venetian Slovenia
Slavia Friulana, which means Friulian Slavia ( sl, Beneška Slovenija), is a small mountainous region in northeastern Italy and it is so called because of its Slavic population which settled here in the 8th century AD. The territory is located in ...
and the
Slovene Lands
The Slovene lands or Slovenian lands ( sl, Slovenske dežele or in short ) is the historical denomination for the territories in Central and Southern Europe where people primarily spoke Slovene. The Slovene lands were part of the Illyrian provinc ...
.
Language and traditions
See also:
Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps The settlement of the Eastern Alps region by early Slavs took place during the 6th to 8th centuries.
It is part of the southward expansion of the early Slavs which would result in the characterization of the South Slavic group, and would ultimatel ...
,
Venetian Slovenia
Slavia Friulana, which means Friulian Slavia ( sl, Beneška Slovenija), is a small mountainous region in northeastern Italy and it is so called because of its Slavic population which settled here in the 8th century AD. The territory is located in ...
The inhabitants of Resia speak a unique dialect, known as the
Resian
The Resian dialect or simply Resian (self-designation Standard , Bila , Osoanë , Solbica ; sl, rezijansko narečje , ; ) is a distinct variety in the South Slavic continuum, generally considered a Slovene dialect spoken in the Resia Valley, ...
. According to most linguists, Resian is a transitory dialect between the
Carinthian
Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Bavarian group. Carint ...
and
Littoral
The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...
dialects of Slovene. Resian maintains several archaic features that have been lost in most other
Slovene dialects
In a purely dialectological sense, Slovene dialects ( sl, slovenska narečja , ) are the regionally diverse varieties that evolved from old Slovene, a South Slavic language of which the standardized modern version is Standard Slovene. This also ...
. Due to its isolation, the dialect has also developed a specific phonetic system, unlike any other in the
South Slavic language group.
The people of Resia usually do not consider themselves as
Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their n ...
, although they maintain close cultural, economic and family connections with the people of the historical region known as
Venetian Slovenia
Slavia Friulana, which means Friulian Slavia ( sl, Beneška Slovenija), is a small mountainous region in northeastern Italy and it is so called because of its Slavic population which settled here in the 8th century AD. The territory is located in ...
, where Slovene linguistic and cultural identity is much more rooted. The Resians call their language ''rozajanski'', while they frequently refer to Slovene as ''tabuški'', meaning 'the one from
Bovec
Bovec ( or ; , german: Flitsch, fur, Plèz) is a town in the Littoral region in northwestern Slovenia, close to the border with Italy. It is the central settlement of the Municipality of Bovec.
Geography
Bovec is located from the capital Ljublj ...
', which is the first large Slovene settlement on the other side of the
Kanin mountain range.
Since 2007, the Resia has been included in those municipalities where the Law on the Protection of the Slovene Linguistic Community is to be applied.
Many bilingual signs have been erected in the valley since the early 2000s.
The Resian people are known for their rich folkloric traditions, especially their music and dances. Many
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
n
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
and
folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...
groups, such as
Katalena and
Terrafolk
220px, Terrafolk in concert (2007)
Terrafolk is a Slovenian folk band.
Terrafolk were formed in 1999 at Festival Lent in Slovenia. They quickly rose to fame, performing at numerous festivals throughout Europe, including the Edinburgh Fringe and ...
, have drawn their inspiration from the Resian folk tradition. Resian folklore is also renowned for its
fable
Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular mo ...
s, which have been extensively collected, translated into standard Slovene and published in various Slovenian publications since the late 19th century.
Cultural associations
Since the 1990s, several cultural institutions have been set up to promote the historical and cultural heritage of the valley. The most important is the Cultural Association 'Resian Home' (''Te kultürski čirkolo "Rozajanski Dum"'', Italian: ''Circolo culturale resiano "Rozajanski dum"'', standard Slovene: ''Kulturno društvo "Rezijanski dom"''), founded in 1983 to foster and protect the local culture.
[http://www.slovenci.si/evropa/drustva/2008101008140691 ] In the 1990s, the 'Resian Cultural Centre' (''Ta Rozajanska Kultürska Hïša'', Italian: ''Centro Culturale Resiano'', standard Slovene: ''Rezijanski kulturni dom'') was established as the central cultural venue in the valley. Both associations are fully included in the network of cultural associations of the
Slovene minority in Italy
Slovene minority in Italy ( it, Minoranza slovena in Italia, sl, Slovenska manjšina v Italiji), also known as Slovenes in Italy ( it, Sloveni in Italia, sl, Slovenci v Italiji) is the name given to Italian citizens who belong to the autochthon ...
.
Identity disputes and minority rights
The political and public sphere in the valley is highly divided between those who understand the Resian identity in the frame of the
Slovene minority in Italy
Slovene minority in Italy ( it, Minoranza slovena in Italia, sl, Slovenska manjšina v Italiji), also known as Slovenes in Italy ( it, Sloveni in Italia, sl, Slovenci v Italiji) is the name given to Italian citizens who belong to the autochthon ...
, and those who oppose this identification and refuse to be considered part of the
Slovene people
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their n ...
. While the majority of the Resian cultural associations are integrated in the network of the Slovene minority in Italy,
there are also political movements rejecting the identification of Resians with Slovenes.
The majority of the population does not consider itself Slovene.
In 2004, 1,014 out of 1,285 (78.9%) inhabitants of Resia signed a petition declaring that they are not Slovenes.
In January 2009 the mayor of the Resia municipality Sergio Barbarino, who is not a Resian, filed an official demand that Resia be included among the municipalities in which the Italian-Slovene bilingualism is applied.
The subsequent mayor Sergio Chinese – himself a native of Resia – declared that "Resia and the Resians have nothing in common with the Slovenes" and that the Resian language "has nothing to do with Slovene".
He requested that Resia be removed from the list of municipalities where Italian-Slovene bilingualism is applied.
In February 2010, the new municipal administration of Resia replaced the bilingual Italian-Resian road signs with new ones, in which the Resian place names were written in the
Italian orthography
Italian orthography (writing) uses a variant of the Latin alphabet consisting of 21 letters to write the Italian language. This article focuses on the writing of Standard Italian, based historically on the Florentine dialect.
Italian orthography ...
instead of the scholarly accepted New Resian orthography.
[http://s2ew.udine.chiesacattolica.it/pls/udine/v3_s2ew_consultazione.mostra_paginawap?id_pagina=3363&attiva_menu=0&nohtml=0] The Slovenian Foreign Ministry denounced the incident and brought it to the attention of the
international community
The international community is an imprecise phrase used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world.
As a rhetorical term
Aside from its use as a general descriptor, the term is ...
as an evidence of the institutional subversion of
minority rights
Minority rights are the normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic or gender and sexual minorities, and also the collective rights accorded to any minority group.
Civil-rights movements ofte ...
in Italy.
In March 2010, the Italian Ministry of Interior confirmed that Resia is to be considered part of the bilingual Italian-Slovene territory and that linguistic rights guaranteed by the Italian Act for the Protection of the Slovene Minority are to be fully applied in Resia.
In August 2010, the municipal assembly of Resia asked for the removal of Resia from the list of municipalities, in which the Law for the Protection of the Slovene Linguistic Community is enforced.
However, such removal is not possible according to the law.
Demographic evolution
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Twin towns
Resia is
twinned with:
*
Fryazino
Fryazino ( rus, Фрязино, p=ˈfrʲæzʲɪnə) is a scientific town in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Lyuboseyevka River, a tributary of the Vorya, northeast of the city of Moscow. Population:
Fryazino is a center of excellence fo ...
, Russia
Notable natives and residents
*
Jan Niecisław Baudouin de Courtenay
Jan Niecisław Ignacy Baudouin de Courtenay (13 March 1845 – 3 November 1929) was a Polish linguist and Slavist, best known for his theory of the phoneme and phonetic alternations.
For most of his life Baudouin de Courtenay worked at Imper ...
, Polish linguist, who lived in Resia studying the
Resian dialect
The Resian dialect or simply Resian (self-designation Standard , Bila , Osoanë , Solbica ; sl, rezijansko narečje , ; ) is a distinct variety in the South Slavic continuum, generally considered a Slovene dialect spoken in the Resia Valley, P ...
References
External links
Municipality website (in Italian and Resian)www.resianet.orgThe song 'Lipa ma Mariza', one of the main cultural symbols of the valleyFolk music from ResiaResian folk songResian folk song
{{DEFAULTSORT:Resia (Ud)
Cities and towns in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Cities and towns in the Julian Alps
Valleys of the Julian Alps
Valleys of Friuli-Venezia Giulia