The Vinschgau, Vintschgau () or Vinschgau Valley ( it, Val Venosta ; rm, Vnuost ; lld, Val Venuesta; medieval toponym: ''Finsgowe'') is the upper part of the

Adige The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the pro ...

or Etsch river valley, in the western part of the province of

South Tyrol it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol , settlement_type = Autonomous province , image_skyline = , image_alt ...

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 ...

Etymology

The

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 ...

name ''Vinschgau'', like Italian ''Val Venosta'', is derived from the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

(

Rhaetian The Rhaetian is the latest age of the Triassic Period (in geochronology) or the uppermost stage of the Triassic System (in chronostratigraphy). It was preceded by the Norian and succeeded by the Hettangian (the lowermost stage or earliest a ...

) Venostes tribes mentioned on the ancient

Tropaeum Alpium The Tropaeum Alpium (Latin 'Trophy of the Alps', French: ''Trophée des Alpes''), is a Roman trophy (''tropaeum'') celebrating the emperor Augustus's decisive victory over the tribes who populated the Alps. The monument's ruins are in La Turbi ...

. A

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

'' Gau'' was established under

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...

in 772; it was first mentioned in a 1077 deed, when King

Henry IV of Germany Henry IV (german: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was the son o ...

granted the estates of

Schlanders Schlanders (; it, Silandro ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about west of the city of Bolzano. Overview Schlanders borders the following municipalities: Latsch, Laas, Mals, Martell, Schnals. Schl ...

''in pago Finsgowe'' to Bishop Altwin of

Brixen Brixen (, ; it, Bressanone ; lld, Porsenù or ) is a town in South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about north of Bolzano. Geography First mentioned in 901, Brixen is the third largest city and oldest town in the province, and the artistic an ...

Geography

The Vinschgau ValleyAllgemeiner historischer Handatlas, Gustav Droysen runs in a west-east orientation, from the

Merano Merano (, , ) or Meran () is a city and '' comune'' in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeie ...

basin at

Partschins Partschins (; it, Parcines ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of the city of Bolzano. Geography As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 3,523 and an area of .All demo ...

up the Adige river to

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 ...

in the northwest. The

Ötztal Alps The Ötztal Alps ( it, Alpi Venoste, german: Ötztaler Alpen) are a mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps, in the State of Tyrol in western Austria and the Province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. Geography The Ötztal Alps are arrayed ...

in the north, part of the Alpine crest, separate it from the upper

Inn Valley The Inn ( la, Aenus; rm, En) is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The river is long. It is a right tributary of the Danube and it is the third largest tributary of the Danube by discharge. The highest point of its drainage basi ...

. The Adige valley is further confined by the Sesvenna Alps in the west and the

Ortler Alps The Ortler Alps ( it, Ortles-Cevedale ; german: Ortler-Alpen; rm, Alps da l'Ortler) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps mountain group in the Central Eastern Alps, in Italy and Switzerland. Geography The Ortler Alps are separate ...

in the south. It comprises several side valleys, such as the

Suldental The Suldental ( it, Val di Solda; german: Suldental) is a side valley of the Trafoi Valley in South Tyrol, Italy. The village in the valley is Sulden Sulden (; it, Solda ) is a mountain village in South Tyrol, northern Italy. It is a ''frazi ...

, the

Matscher Tal The Matscher Tal (also german: Matschertal; it, Val di Mazia ) is a side valley of the Vinschgau in South Tyrol, Italy. It is part of the municipality of Mals Mals (; it, Malles Venosta ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in north ...

, or the

Schnalstal The Schnalstal ( it, Val Senales) is a side valley of the Vinschgau in the autonomous province of South Tyrol, Italy. It belongs almost in its entirety to the municipality of Schnals, while small parts in the entrance area lie in Naturns und Kas ...

. Due to the insular location within the

Central Eastern Alps The Central Eastern Alps (german: Zentralalpen or Zentrale Ostalpen), also referred to as Austrian Central Alps (german: Österreichische Zentralalpen) or just Central Alps, comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacen ...

, a rather warm climate and a lack of rain (400mm per year), fields, meadows and

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

orchards are irrigated.

Viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, r ...

is also common. According to the 2001 census, 96.51% of the population of the valley speak German, 3.41% Italian and 0.08%

Ladin Ladin may refer to: *Ladin language, a language in northern Italy, often classified as a Rhaeto-Romance language *Ladin people, the inhabitants of the Dolomite Alps region of northern Italy See also *Laden (disambiguation) *Ladino (disambiguati ...

as first language.Bevölkerung und soziales Leben, Statistisches Jahrbuch 2006
p. 120, tab. 3.19

Subdivision

The Vinschgau District ( it, Comprensorio della Val Venosta; german: Bezirksgemeinschaft Vinschgau) was established in 1962. The district covers the largest part of the Vinschgau region and its side valleys, in which 13 municipalities cooperate: Comuni val venosta-gemeinden vinschgau

# Kastelbell-Tschars (''Castelbello-Ciardes'') #

Graun im Vinschgau Graun im Vinschgau (; it, Curon Venosta ; rm, La Carun) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and a village in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of Bolzano, on the border with Austria and Switzerland. Geography At 1 January 201 ...

(''Curon Venosta'') # Glurns (''Glorenza'') #

Latsch Latsch (; it, Laces ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of the city of Bolzano. Geography As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 5,156 and an area of .All demographi ...

(''Laces'') # Laas (''Lasa'') #

Mals Mals (; it, Malles Venosta ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of Bolzano, on the border with Switzerland and Austria. History Coat-of-arms The emblem is party per fess: the upper of gul ...

(''Malles Venosta'') # Martell (''Martello'') # Prad am Stilfser Joch (''Prato allo Stelvio'') #

(''Silandro'') # Schluderns (''Sluderno'') #

Schnals Schnals (; it, Senales ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the autonomous province of South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria. The municipality includes large parts of the Schnalst ...

(''Senales'') #

Stilfs Stilfs (; it, Stelvio ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. It is located near the northern ramp of the Stelvio Pass. The municipality of Stilfs contains the ''frazioni'' (subdivisions, mainly villag ...

(''Stelvio'') #

Taufers im Münstertal Taufers im Münstertal (; it, Tubre ; rm, Tuer) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about west of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Switzerland. Geography As of November 30, 2010, it had a population ...

(''Tubre'') The municipalities of

Naturns Naturns (; it, Naturno ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of the city of Bolzano. Geography As of 31 December 2015, it had a population of 5,739 and an area of .All demog ...

(''Naturno''),

Plaus Plaus (; ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about north-west of the city of Bolzano. Geography As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 683 and an area of .All demographics and other statistics: Ita ...

and

(''Parcines'') geographically belong to the lower Vinschgau region, though politically they are affiliated with the neighbouring

Burggrafenamt The Burggrafenamt ( it, Burgraviato , german: Burggrafenamt) is a district ( it, comprensorio, german: Bezirksgemeinschaft) in the western part of the Italian province of South Tyrol. It comprises the part of the Adige river valley between Naturns ...

district.

References

External links

*
Vinschgau District
{{Authority control Districts of South Tyrol