Urtijëi (; german: St. Ulrich in Gröden ; it, Ortisei ) is a town of 4,637 inhabitants 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 ...

. It occupies the

Val Gardena Val Gardena (; german: Gröden ; lld, Gherdëina ) is a valley in Northern Italy, in the Dolomites of South Tyrol. It is best known as a tourist skiing, rock climbing, and woodcarving area. Geography The valley's main river is the Derjon, a ...

within the

Dolomites The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...

, a mountain chain that is part of 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, ...

Geography

Urtijëi borders the following municipalities:

Kastelruth Kastelruth (; it, Castelrotto ; Ladin: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, about northeast of the city of Bolzano. Geography As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 6,456 and an area of .All demographi ...

, Villnöß, Lajen and Santa Cristina Gherdëina.

History

The

Ladin-language Ladin (, also ; autonym: , it, ladino; german: Ladinisch) is a Romance language of the Rhaeto-Romance subgroup, mainly spoken in the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy in the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno, by the Lad ...

name Urtijëi derives from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

word and the suffix '','' with the meaning "place of nettles". From 1860 to 1914 Urtijëi experienced a relevant economic 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 Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

as well as the German Empire. Currently, the town's

economy An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with t ...

is mostly based on winter skiing tourism, summer

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A His ...

tourism, and woodcarving.

Coat of arms

The emblem shows Saint Ulrich, with the bishop's vestments and a gold cross in his right hand, mounted on a horse, with gold harness and a blue saddle pad, on three green mountains on a gold field. The emblem is decorated with a blue chief, with three small silver shields alternating with two golden bees; the bees symbolize the laboriousness of the inhabitants. The coat of arms was granted in 1907 and reappointed in 1970. Blazon: '' Or, St Ulrich in bishops vestments with a cross Or in right hand, mounted on a white horse Proper with harness of the field and a

saddle blanket The terms saddle blanket, saddle pad (or numnah), and saddle cloth refer to blankets, pads or fabrics inserted under a saddle. These are usually used to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and protect the horse's back. There are lighter types ...

Azure on a

trimount In heraldry, a mount (also mountain, hill, hillock) is a representation of a hill or mountain as a curved terrace in base. When the mount is included in the lower part of the shield, it may be considered an ordinary rather than a charge. A trimoun ...

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 ver ...

; On a chief Azure, two bees Or between three escutcheons

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 t ...

.''

Main sights

Parish Church of Urtijëi A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

, made in

neoclassical style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

with baroque elements in the last part of the 18th century. * Church of St. Jacob, of ancient foundation, it was remodeled in style

Late-Gothic Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...

style during the 17th century. It preserves

frescoes Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plast ...

from the second half of the 15th century and copies of the original baroque furnishings. * Church of St. Antonius, built in the second half of the 17th century, it combines the simple Renaissance style structure with a predominantly baroque decorative structure. * Church of St. Anna, located in the perimeter of the municipal cemetery, it is in Late-Gothic style. Inside it preserves baroque furnishings. *

Museum Gherdëina The Gherdëina Local Heritage Museum was opened in the ''Cësa di Ladins'' in Urtijëi, in northernmost Italy, in 1960. The building is the seat of the Union di Ladins de Gherdëina a cultural organisation for the keeping of the Ladin language a ...

, the local heritage museum, which preserves geological, paleontological and archaeological finds found in the area, as well as a collection of wooden sculptures and toys. * The

Luis Trenker Luis Trenker (born Alois Franz Trenker, 4 October 1892 – 13 April 1990) was a South Tyrolean film producer, director, writer, actor, architect, alpinist, and bobsledder. Biography Early life Alois Franz Trenker was born on 4 October 1892 in U ...

House of Culture, housed in a building designed by the architect Hubert Prachensky (1916-2009), preserves the ancient bell of the Magister Manfredinus. * The bronze statue of the

Roman legionary The Roman legionary (in Latin ''legionarius'', plural ''legionarii'') was a professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army after the Marian reforms. These soldiers would conquer and defend the territories of ancient Rome during the late Repu ...

, sculpted in wood in 1904 by Johann Baptist Moroder and fused in bronze in 2001, in front at Villa Venezia. * Villa Venezia, home and workshop of the sculptor Johann Baptist Moroder, constructed between 1902 and 1903 following the

venetian style Venetian Gothic is the particular form of Italian Gothic architecture typical of Venice, originating in local building requirements, with some influence from Byzantine architecture, and some from Islamic architecture, reflecting Venice's trading ...

of architecture.
File:Roman legionary Ortisei.jpg,

sculpted in wood in 1904 by Johann Baptist Moroder and fused in bronze in 2001. File:Dlieja da Sacun cun Saslonch-edit.jpg, Church of St. Jacob File:Resciesa Mont Dedite y Danter la Montes Urtijei.jpg, The pasture Resciesa

Society

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

Notable people

Franz Moroder-Lenert by Josef Moroder-Lusenberg

(1892–1990), film producer, director, writer, actor, architect, alpinist and bobsledder * Ernesto Prinoth (1923–1981), racing driver and founder of

Prinoth AG Prinoth is an Italian manufacturer of snow groomers and tracked utility vehicles. The company's headquarters are located in Sterzing, South Tyrol, Italy. With its fleet of snow groomers, Prinoth is active in slope preparation. Its utility ve ...

Isolde Kostner Isolde Kostner (born 20 March 1975) is an Italian former Alpine skier who won two bronze medals at the 1994 Winter Olympics and a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. She was the Italian flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Olymp ...

(born 1975), former Alpine skier, medallist at the

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson Ma ...

and

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soó ...

Carolina Kostner Carolina Kostner (born 8 February 1987) is an Italian figure skater. She is the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2012 World champion, a five-time European champion (2007–2008, 2010, 2012–2013), and the 2011 Grand Prix Final champion. She ...

(born 1987), figure skater, lives in Urtijëi ;Moroder family * Josef Moroder-Lusenberg (1846–1939), painter and sculptor *

Franz Moroder Franz Moroder Lenèrt (4 September 1847 – 13 May 1920) was an Austrian politician and poet. He was the first mayor of Urtijëi in Val Gardena, a merchant, a scholar of Ladin history as well as a strong promoter of the Ladinian language. Biogr ...

(1847–1920), politician and poet, the first mayor of Ortisei * Johann Baptist Moroder (1870-1932), sculptor *

Rudolf Moroder-Lenèrt Rudolf Moroder-Lenèrt (26 January 1877 in Urtijëi, County of Tyrol – 22 December 1914 in Radlow, Galicia) was an Austrian sculptor specializing in religious art, who was a member of the Moroder family of South Tyrol, which was notable for ...

(1877–1914), sculptor specializing in religious art * Ludwig Moroder (1879–1953), sculptor and teacher *

Friedrich (Rico) Moroder Friedrich Moroder, also known as Rico (born 21 March 1880, Ortisei in Val Gardena; died 24 January 1937) was a South Tyrolean sculptor. Biography He was the first born son of the painter Josef Moroder Lusenberg Josef Theodor Moroder, also k ...

(1880-1937), sculptor * Adele Moroder (1887–1966), author, wrote in the

Ladin language Ladin (, also ; autonym: , it, ladino; german: Ladinisch) is a Romance language of the Rhaeto-Romance subgroup, mainly spoken in the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy in the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno, by the ...

* Otto Moroder (1894-1977), sculptor * David Moroder (1931-1997), luger and sculptor *

Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the " Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance music. His work with synthesizers had ...

(born 1940), singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer IMDb Database
retrieved 14 June 2019 * Egon Rusina Moroder (born 1949), painter and illustrator, lives in Ortisei

References

External links

Official website
( Ladin)
Museum Gherdëina - Local heritage museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Urtijei Municipalities of South Tyrol