The Bersntol (german: Fersental, it, Valle del Fersina) is a valley in the
Autonomous Province of Trento
Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...
, in north-eastern Italy. The
Fersina river runs through it.
[ It is also known as the ''Valle del Mòcheni'' after its inhabitants, who speak the Upper German Mòcheno language.
]
History
Since the 14th century the valley has been home to a Mòcheno-speaking population of Upper German
Upper German (german: Oberdeutsch ) is a family of High German dialects spoken primarily in the southern German-speaking area ().
History
In the Old High German time, only Alemannic and Bairisch are grouped as Upper German. In the Middle High ...
origin,[ and is a ]language island
A language island (a calque of German ''Sprachinsel''; also language enclave, language pocket) is an enclave of a language that is surrounded by one or more different languages. The term was introduced in 1847. Peter Auer, Frans Hinskens, Paul Ker ...
of the Mòcheno language
Mòcheno (german: Fersentalerisch; bar, Bersntolerisch) is an Upper German variety spoken in three towns of the Bersntol (german: Fersental, it, Valle del Fersina), in Trentino, northeastern Italy.
Mòcheno is closely related to Bavarian and ...
.
The valley is part of the district of Alta Valsugana e Bersntol.
Population
The four municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of the valley are Vlarötz, Garait, Palai en Bersntol, and Sant'Orsola Terme
Sant'Orsola Terme ( Mòcheno: ''Oachpergh'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about northeast of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 933 and an ar ...
. The majority of people declared themselves members of the Mòcheno linguistic group.
The Pezzata Mòchena breed of domestic goat originates in the valley.[
]
References
External links
Homepage of the Bernstoler Kulturinstitut
Valleys of Trentino
{{TrentinoAltoAdige-geo-stub