Bolzano, South Tyrol
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Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the
capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...
of
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
(officially the province of Bolzano),
Northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...
. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
. The greater metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants and is one of the urban centres within the
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
. Bolzano is the seat of the
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italian language, Italian: ''Libera Università di Bolzano'', German language, German: ''Freie Universität Bozen'', Ladin language, Ladin: ''Università Liedia de Bulsan'') is a university primarily loc ...
, where lectures and seminars are held in English, German, and Italian. The city is also home to the
Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...
's
Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operati ...
High Command (
COMALP The Comando Truppe Alpine (Alpine Troops Command) or COMTA (formerly also COMALP) commands the Mountain Troops of the Italian Army, called ''Alpini'' (singular: ''Alpino'') and various support and training units. It is the successor to the ''4º ...
) and some of its combat and support units. In the 2020 version of the annual ranking of quality of life in Italian cities, Bolzano was ranked jointly first for quality of life alongside
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
. Along with other Alpine towns in South Tyrol, Bolzano engages in the
Alpine Town of the Year The Alpine Town of the Year award is given to towns which have made exceptional efforts for the realization of the Alpine Convention and for sustainable development. The ''Alpine Towns of the Year'' are members of the international association of ...
Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention. The Convention aims to promote and achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. Consequently, Bolzano was awarded the 2009 Alpine Town of the Year. Bolzano is considered a bridge between
Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...
and
Southern Europe Southern Europe is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, C ...
due to the three spoken languages in
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
(
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, and Ladin) and the confluence of the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
and
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
-
Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...
cultures.


Geography


Location

The area of the city of Bolzano is , of which is used as a settlement area. The city is located in the basin where the
Sarntal Sarntal (; ) is a valley and a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about north of the city of Bolzano. The municipality comprises several towns and villages. The largest one, seat of the mayor and council, is ''Sa ...
,
Eisacktal Eisack Valley ( ; ) is a district (; ) in South Tyrol, Italy. It comprises the middle part of the valley of the Eisack, from Franzensfeste in the north to Waidbruck in the south. Overview The valley of the Eisack river stretches from Brenner Pass ...
, and the
Adige Valley The Adige is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the province of South Tyrol, near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland, and flows through most of northeastern Italy t ...
with their rivers,
Talfer The Talfer (; ) is a river located in South Tyrol, Italy. It flows into the Eisack in Bolzano Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano ...
,
Eisack The Eisack (, ; ; or ) is a river in Northern Italy, the second largest river in South Tyrol. Its source is near the Brenner Pass, at an altitude of about 1990 m above sea level. The river draws water from an area of about 4,200 km2. After a ...
, and
Adige The Adige is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the province of South Tyrol, near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland, and flows through most of northeastern Italy ...
, meet. In the Middle Ages, the two main Alpine crossings, 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 Alp ...
over Reschenpass and the Brenner route over
Brenner Pass The Brenner Pass ( , shortly ; ) is a mountain pass over the Alps which forms the Austria-Italy border, border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Alps, major passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowes ...
, met in Bolzano. Thus, the city was very important for trading. The highest point is above sea level and the lowest point is above sea level. The centre is located at an altitude of above sea level. The nearest big cities are (
Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also known in English as Trent, is a city on the Adige, Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the Trentino, autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ...
) and (
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
) away.


City districts and neighbouring communities

City districts (most district names were originally in German and italianized at a later stage): * Centro-Piani-Rencio/Zentrum-Bozner Boden-Rentsch * Don Bosco/Don Bosco-Neugries * Europa-Novacella/Europa-Neustift * Gries-San Quirino/Gries-Quirein * Oltrisarco-Aslago/Oberau-Haslach In 1911 Zwölfmalgreien and in late 1925 the Gries municipality were incorporated in the Bolzano civic district. Neighbouring communities are: Eppan,
Karneid Karneid (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about east of the city of Bolzano and a village. It is also the location of Karneid castle. Geography As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 3,311 an ...
,
Laives Laives (; ) is a town and a (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about south of the city of Bolzano. It is one of only five mainly Italian speaking municipalities in South Tyrol, and the fourth largest municipality in the ...
,
Deutschnofen Deutschnofen (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about southeast of the city of Bolzano. Deutschnofen borders the following municipalities: Aldein, Bolzano, Bronzolo, Karneid, Laives, ...
,
Ritten Ritten (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy. Territory The community is named after the high plateau, elevation , the Ritten or the Renon, on which most of the villages are located. The plateau forms the southe ...
,
Jenesien Jenesien (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and a village 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 2,952 and an area of .All demo ...
,
Terlan Terlan (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy. Geography The municipal area is situated within the Adige Valley, about northwest of the city of Bolzano. Terlan is famous for its Italian wine, wine and asparagus pro ...
and
Vadena Vadena (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about southwest of the city of Bolzano. It is one of only five mainly Italian speaking municipalities in South Tyrol. Geography As of November 30, 2010, it had ...
.


Climate

Being located at multiple climate borders, Bolzano features a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(''Cfa'') with hot summers and very cold winters by Italian standards. According to the Trewartha classification, this climate could not be really considered a subtropical climate because fewer than 8 months are at least , and thus would be considered a semi-continental climate with hot summers. Some of its suburbs are designated an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(''Cfb'') based on cooler summer temperatures, while mountains in the area may feature a continental climate (''Dfb''). The climate of Bolzano is influenced by its low altitude in a valley south of the main Alps. This causes very sheltered conditions from cool winds during daytime, ensuring much warmer temperatures year-round than in similar valley cities north of the range.


Demographics


Linguistic distribution

According to the 2024 census, 74.71% of the city's inhabitants spoke
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, 24.74%
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
and 0.55% Ladin as their
first language A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period hypothesis, critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' ...
. Through fascism and the
Italianization Italianization ( ; ; ; ; ; ) is the spread of Italian culture, language and identity by way of integration or assimilation. It is also known for a process organized by the Kingdom of Italy to force cultural and ethnic assimilation of the nati ...
policy under
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
in the inter-war period, the Italian language group became the majority in Bolzano. Prior to the annexation of South Tyrol to Italy ( Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 1919) a small Italophone community of up to 10% of the population already lived in Bolzano.


History


Prehistory and Roman settlement

The modern-day Bolzano was in ancient times a marshy region inhabited by the
Raeti The Raeti ( ; spelling variants: ''Rhaeti'', ''Rheti'' or ''Rhaetii'') were a confederation of Alpine tribes, whose language and culture were related to those of the Etruscans. Before the Roman conquest, they inhabited present-day Tyrol in Austr ...
an Isarci people, traditionally believed to be descendants of
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...
refugees fleeing Italy from the invading Gauls. The Romans built a settlement after the area had been conquered in 15 BC by general
Nero Claudius Drusus Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus (38–9 BC), commonly known in English as Drusus the Elder, was a Roman general and politician. He was a patrician Claudian but his mother was from a plebeian family. He was the son of Livia Drusilla and the s ...
. The military settlement, ''Pons Drusi'' (Drusus Bridge), was named after this Roman general. During this time the area became part of the region
Venetia et Histria Venetia et Histria (Latin: ''Regio X Venetia et Histria'') was an administrative subdivision in the northeast of Roman Italy. It was originally created by Augustus as the tenth ''regio'' in 7 AD alongside the nine other ''regiones''. The region h ...
(Regio X) of
ancient Italy This list of ancient peoples living in Italy summarises the many different Italian populations that existed in antiquity. Among them, the Romans succeeded in Romanizing the entire Italian peninsula following the Roman expansion in Italy, which ...
. In 1948, excavations of the current Cathedral led to the discovery of an ancient Christian basilica from the fourth century. Also discovered was a Roman cemetery, including the tomb of "Secundus Regontius" with Latin inscriptions dating to the third century, making him the oldest known inhabitant of Bolzano.


Bavarian settlement

During the gradual decline of the Lombard influence in the seventh century,
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
n immigration took place and the first mention of a Bavarian ruler in Bolzano dates from 679. At that time, the Bavarians named the nearby villages around Bolzano ''Bauzanum'' or ''Bauzana''. In 769
Tassilo III, Duke of Bavaria Tassilo – also spelled Thassilo – is a male name of West Germanic origin. It is the diminutive form of the name Tasso/Tazzo. Tasso/Tazzo itself is the diminutive form of Taginbert, which is of West Germanic origin and means "glittering as the ...
issued in Bolzano the foundation charter of the
Innichen Abbey Innichen Abbey (German: ''Stift Innichen'') is a former Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine monastery in Innichen, South Tyrol in northern Italy. Founded in the 8th century, its collegiate church dedicated to Saint Candidus, rebuilt in the 12th ...
.
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
populations have been present in the region of
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
from that period onwards. At around the year 1000, the settlement is called "in Pauzana valle, quae lingua Teutisca Pozana nuncupatur".


Bishopric of Trent

In 1027 the area of Bolzano and the rest of the Diocese was conferred upon the bishops of Trent by the
emperor Conrad II Conrad II (, – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdom ...
from the
Salian dynasty The Salian dynasty or Salic dynasty () was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages. The dynasty provided four kings of Germany (1024–1125), all of whom went on to be crowned Holy Roman emperors (1027–1125). After the death of the last Ottonia ...
. In the late-12th century, the bishop founded a
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
, along the ''Lauben'' thoroughfare. The town therefore became an important trading post on the Transalpine
Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...
-
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
route over the
Brenner Pass The Brenner Pass ( , shortly ; ) is a mountain pass over the Alps which forms the Austria-Italy border, border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Alps, major passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowes ...
, elevation above sea level, within the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
.


County of Tyrol

In 1277 Bolzano was conquered by Meinhard II, the Count of Tyrol, leading to a struggle between the
counts of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with the secularised ...
and the bishops of Trent. In 1363, the
County of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an Imperial State, estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with th ...
passed to the Austrian
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...
. In 1381, Duke Leopold granted the citizens of Bolzano the privilege of a town council. This gradually eliminated the influence and power previously held by the bishops of Trent over the next few decades. In 1462, the bishops eventually resigned all their rights of jurisdiction over the town. From the 14th and 15th centuries onwards, a large market fair was organised four times per year to greet tradesmen and merchants en-route the Brenner Pass. The Mercantile Magistrate was therefore founded in 1635 by the Austrian duchess
Claudia de' Medici Claudia de' Medici (4 June 1604 – 25 December 1648) was Regent of the Austrian County of Tyrol during the minority of her son from 1632 until 1646. Biography Early life Born in Florence into the House of Medici, Claudia was the youngest d ...
. During every market season, two Italian and two Germanic officers, who were appointed among the local tradesmen, worked in this magistrate office. The establishment of an official trade organisation strengthened Bolzano as a cultural crossroad in the Alps. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Bolzano became briefly part of the Napoleonic
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
and was incorporated into the ''
Department of Alto Adige The Department of Alto Adige (Italian and official ''Dipartimento dell'Alto Adige'', , , translated into English ''Department of Upper Adige'') was a northern department of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. The name had been used for a district ...
''. After the Congress of Vienna (1814-15) Bolzano returned to the
County of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an Imperial State, estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with th ...
, within the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
and subsequently the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867. The County covered both modern-day
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
,
Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...
and the federal state of
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
(including
East Tyrol East Tyrol, occasionally East Tirol (), is an exclave of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, separated from North Tyrol by parts of Salzburg State and parts of Italian South Tyrol (''Südtirol'', ). It is coterminous with the administrative ...
) in Austria. In 1915, the
Triple Entente The Triple Entente (from French meaning "friendship, understanding, agreement") describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was built upon th ...
powers promised Italy territorial gains if she would enter the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
on the side of the Entente instead of siding with the
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
and
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. When Italy abandoned the
Triple Alliance (1882) The Triple Alliance was a defensive military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. It was formed on 20 May 1882 and renewed periodically until it expired in 1915 during World War I. Germany and Austria-Hungary had been closel ...
, the Entente offered her territorial promises in
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
and
Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...
. This secret arrangement was confirmed in the
Treaty of London (1915) The Treaty of London (; ) or the Pact of London (, ) was a secret agreement concluded on 26 April 1915 by the United Kingdom, France, and Russia on the one part, and Italy on the other, in order to entice the last to enter the Great War on ...
. After Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on May 24, 1915, heavy fighting took place all along Tyrol's southern border for the entire duration of the conflict. For the next years Tyrol's southern border became the front line between Austro-Hungarian and Italian troops. Tyrol's south frontier was – and still is – dotted with tens of defensive fortresses that had been built in view of a possible Italian attack. Losses on both sides amount to several thousands. During World War I, tens of thousands of civilians living along Tyrol's southern border were evacuated to either of the two countries, the majority to Bohemian and inner Austrian areas, and some to Italian internment camps, away from the front line.


Annexation by Italy

On November 3, 1918, the armistice of Villa Giusti, near Padova, ended military operations between Italy and Austria-Hungary. Subsequently, Italian troops entered Tyrol and occupied the Austrian areas south of the Brenner Pass. Italian control of
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
was internationally recognized in 1919. At the time of Bolzano's annexation by the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
the town was settled primarily by a German-speaking population. As of 1910, inhabitants identified themselves as German speakers and only 1,300 as Italian speakers, these latter ones mainly from the Italian speaking areas of Tyrol, namely Welschtirol, currently known as Trentino. Along with the rest of South Tyrol, Bolzano was subjected to an intensive Italianisation programme enforced by Fascist leader
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
from the 1920s onwards to September 8, 1943, when Italy left the military alliance with Nazi Germany and South Tyrol fell under direct German control. The goal of such programme was to outnumber the local German-speaking population by tripling Bolzano's population through Italian immigration from other regions of Italy. In 1927 Bolzano became the capital of the province of Bolzano. Any reference to and use of the words Tyrol and Tyrolean were banned by law and were punishable offences. In 1933,
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
came to power in the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
. Mussolini and the Fascists worried that Hitler, in pursuing his ideology of ''all ethnic Germans under one Reich'', would claim South Tyrol from Italy. To avoid such a prospect, in 1939 Mussolini and Hitler signed the Option Agreement, by which Germany would renounce territorial claims over South Tyrol as Germany's ''Lebensraum'' (living space). Furthermore, ethnic South-Tyroleans who had opted to stay in South Tyrol and refused resettlement to the
Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
were subjected to full-scale Italianisation, including loss of their German names and national identity, prohibition of schooling in German and use of German for their daily transactions.


Second World War

During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Bolzano was the site of the
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
s'
Bolzano Transit Camp Bolzano was a transit camp operated by Nazi Germany in Bolzano from 1944 to 3 May 1945 during World War II. It was one of the largest Nazi ''Lager'' on Italian soil, along with those of Fossoli, Borgo San Dalmazzo and Trieste. History After ...
, a
concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
for persecuted
Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
s and political prisoners. Members of the Jewish population of Bolzano were deported to the death camps in Nazi Germany and murdered there. When Italy surrendered in September 1943, the whole of South Tyrol as well as
Belluno Belluno (; ; ) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the Capital (political), capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. W ...
were ''de facto'' administered by the Nazis as
Operational Zone of the Alpine Foothills The Operational Zone of the Alpine Foothills ( (OZAV); ) was a Nazi German occupation zone in the sub-Alpine area in Italy during World War II. Origin and geography OZAV was established on 10 September 1943 by the occupying German Wehrmacht, ...
. After 1943, heavy fighting between Nazi Germany and the Allied Powers took place in the
Dolomites The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...
.


Capital of an autonomous province

After the War, the Gruber-De Gasperi Agreement of September 1946 was signed by the Italian and Austrian Foreign Ministers in Paris, guaranteeing "complete equality of rights" (including education and use of German as an official language) as well as "autonomous legislative and executive regional power" to the German-speaking population in South Tyrol and Trentino. Because the implementation of the post-war agreement was not seen as satisfactory by the Austrian government (the autonomous province of 1947 included Trentino and therefore had an Italian-speaking majority), it became a cause of significant friction with Italy and was brought to the
General Assembly of the United Nations The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 79th session, its powers, ...
in 1960, which called for a resolution of the issue. A fresh round of negotiations took place in 1961 but proved unsuccessful, partly because of the campaign of terrorism by South Tyrolean Liberation Committee – a secessionist movement – against Italian police and electric power structures (one notable incident being the
Night of Fire The German Night Gate Fire (; ) happened on the night of 12 June 1961 when 37 electricity pylons were blown up in South Tyrol by the South Tyrolean Liberation Committee. It formed a turning point in the history of the province. Background Afte ...
on 12 June 1961). The issue was resolved in 1971, when a new statute of autonomy for the smaller, majority German-speaking province Bozen – Südtirol/Bolzano – Alto Adige, which was supported by the German-speaking population of South Tyrol, was granted by Italy. It resulted in a considerable level of self-government, also due to the large financial resources of South Tyrol, which retains almost 90% of all levied taxes. The agreement was implemented and proved broadly satisfactory to the parties involved and the separatist tensions soon eased. In 1992, Austria and Italy officially ended their dispute over the autonomy issue on the basis of the statute of 1972.


Economy

The city thrives on a mix of old and new high-quality intensive
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
(including
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
,
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
, and
dairy product Dairy products or milk products are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, goat, nanny goat, and Sheep, ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food around the world such as y ...
s),
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
, traditional
handicraft A handicraft is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid material ...
(wood, ceramics), and advanced
services Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...
.
Heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
(machinery, automotive, and steel) installed during the 1930s has now been mostly dismantled. The local economy is very dependent on the
public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, pu ...
and especially the provincial government. Bolzano is the biggest city in South Tyrol, which is an autonomous province in Northern Italy with a special statute. This statute preserves the rights of the German-speaking minority in Italy. This unique system was admired by the
Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
, who visited the city on several occasions to study a possible application in
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
. It has also been presented as role model for the successful and fair resolution of inter-ethnic conflict to other regions of the world.


Exhibition Bolzano

The tradeshows and conferences of Exhibition Bolzano are concentrated on topics relating to the economies of Alpine countries. There is thus a great focus on trade show subjects in the economic competence of South Tyrol and Trentino. The main focuses of dining and leisure time, sports, agriculture and specific Alpine industries attract an annual total of over 3000 exhibitors and over visitors from all over Europe.


Italian German Business Forum Bozen-Bolzano

Since 2011, the city hosts the Italo-Germanic Business Forum, which brings together the leaders of the Italian and German economies –
Confindustria The General Confederation of Italian Industry (), commonly known as Confindustria, is the Italy, Italian small, medium, and big enterprises federation, acting as a private and autonomous chamber of commerce, founded in 1910. The association netwo ...
and the
Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie The Federation of German Industries ( (BDI)) is the umbrella organization of German industry and industry-related service providers in the legal form of a registered association. It represents 39 industry associations and more than 100,000 compa ...
– in the Mercantile Palace to address issues related to the international crisis.


Companies

Large companies in Bolzano are: * THUN S.p.A. SB (AG) * FERCAM S.p.A. (AG) * Spar (retailer) Italia S.p.A. * Acciaierie Valbruna S.p.A. *
Iveco Iveco S.p.A., an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company with headquarters in Turin, Italy. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy Commercial vehicle, commercial veh ...
S.p.A. * Oberalp AG * Alperia S.p.A. (AG)


Research centers


NOI Techpark

NOI Techpark NOI Techpark is the science and technology park of South Tyrol that hosts 4 research institutes (Fraunhofer Society, Fraunhofer Italia, Eurac Research, ClimateHouse and Research Centre Laimburg), 4 Faculties of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano ...
is on a site in the south of Bolzano, on premises formerly home to aluminium works. The "Nature of Innovation" concept contains innovation imitating nature. The concept that NOI Techpark is based on has research institutes, companies and start-ups from South Tyrol and all over the globe working together to prepare the ground for a sustainable development. Working with representatives from South Tyrol's business and research communities, BLS and TIS innovation park have developed the park's "Nature of Innovation" positioning title, the initials of which give the park its name: NOI. The name reflects two meanings in South Tyrol: depending on how you want to pronounce it, NOI can either sound like the Italian word for "we" or the South Tyrolean dialect word for "new". A special focus lies on those fields: * Alpine Technology * Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency * Food Technology * ICT & Automation


Free University of Bolzano-Bozen

The Free University of Bolzano-Bozen, founded in October 1997, is actively involved in basic and applied research projects through its five faculties, of which four are located in Bolzano. The university is engaged in a multitude of scientific and technological areas, in addition to different disciplines belonging to
Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...
.


Eurac Research

The
Eurac Research Eurac Research is a private research center headquartered in Bolzano, South Tyrol. The center has eleven institutes and five centers. Eurac Research has more than 800 partners spread across 56 countries. Eurac Research collaborates with internati ...
is a private research centre headquartered in Bolzano. The research facility was founded in 1992 and initially had 12 employees. Meanwhile, the centre has more than 700 employees. The topics of this institution include, for example, "Liveable Regions", "Diversity as Added Value" and "Healthy Society". The research has focused more on the Alpine region. Since 2002, the site has been located on Drusus Street, in the former fascist "GIL" building, which was then extensively renovated and integrated with modern buildings. In 2018, the research facility will lead the terraXcube in the NOI Techpark Bolzano. The terraXcube is a research infrastructure that can simulate the most extreme climatic conditions on earth. Air pressure, humidity and solar radiation can be simulated and changed simultaneously in one room. The aim is to investigate how humans react to extreme climatic conditions. Even machines can be tested in this simulator.


Fraunhofer Italia

Fraunhofer Italia is a subsidiary of
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft The Fraunhofer Society () is a German publicly-owned research organization with 76institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science (as opposed to the Max Planck Society, which works primarily on basic sc ...
and is headquartered in Bolzano. The company was founded in 2009 and since then specializes in areas such as "Automation and Mechatronic Engineering" and "Process Engineering in Construction". The Organization for Applied Research seeks to help small and medium-sized enterprises in the region through charitable research. Since 2017, the research facility has been based in the Technology Park in Bolzano South.


Politics


City Council

The last municipal elections were held in the year 2025. Of the 45 seats, 10 different parties were elected to the city council. The
Brothers of Italy Brothers of Italy (, FdI) is a National conservatism, national-conservative and Right-wing populism, right-wing populist political party in Italy, that is currently the country's ruling party. After becoming the largest party in the 2022 Ita ...
and the
Südtiroler Volkspartei The South Tyrolean People's Party (, SVP) is a regionalist and mostly Christian-democratic political party in South Tyrol, an autonomous province with a German-speaking majority in northern Italy. Dieter Steger has been party leader since 2024, ...
(SVP) won 7 seats each.


Mayors

This table shows the mayors of the city of Bolzano after 1945. All mayors within this list belong to the Italian language group. So far, the last mayor of the German language group in Bolzano was
Julius Perathoner Julius Perathoner (Dietenheim (Bruneck), 28 February 1849 – Bolzano, 17 April 1926) was an Austro-Hungarian politician who became an Italian citizen after the Treaty of Saint-Germain. He was one of the most important exponents of the Liberal Par ...
from 1895 to 1922 and was replaced by the march on Bolzano by the fascists.


Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino

In 1996, the European Union approved further cultural and economic integration between the Austrian province of
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
and the Italian autonomous provinces of South Tyrol and
Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...
by recognizing the creation of the
Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino In European politics, the term Euroregion usually refers to a transnational co-operation structure between two (or more) contiguous territories located in different European countries. Euroregions represent a specific type of cross-border region ...
.


Main sights

File:Chiostro Francescani Bolzano.jpg,
Franciscan Friary, Bolzano The Franciscan Friary, Bolzano (; ) is a Franciscan friary in the city of Bolzano, in South Tyrol, northern Italy. It was founded in 1221, less than a century after Bolzano was refounded as a trading centre on the important Brenner route connect ...
File:Sparkassenstraße cropped.jpg, Sparkassenstraße File:Kornplatz Bozen 2015.jpg, Kornplatz File:Via goethe, bolzano.JPG, Obstplatz File:Kloster und Stiftskirche Muri-Gires in Bozen Südtirol.JPG, Muri-Gries Abbey File:Bozen Waltherplatz.jpg, Statue of
Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide (; ) was a Minnesänger who composed and performed love-songs and political songs ('' Sprüche'') in Middle High German. Walther has been described as the greatest German lyrical poet before Goethe; his hundred or s ...
Its medieval city center,
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...
and Romanesque churches and bilingual signage give it the flavor of a city at the crossroads of Italian and Austrian cultures. This and its natural and cultural attractions make it a popular tourist destination. Among the major monuments and sights are: * the ''Walther Square'', with a statue of
Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide (; ) was a Minnesänger who composed and performed love-songs and political songs ('' Sprüche'') in Middle High German. Walther has been described as the greatest German lyrical poet before Goethe; his hundred or s ...
, a German minstrel (''
minnesinger (; "love song") was a tradition of German lyric- and song-writing that flourished in the Middle High German period (12th to 14th centuries). The name derives from '' minne'', the Middle High German word for love, as that was ''Minnesangs m ...
'') * the ''Laubengasse'' or ''Via dei Portici'', a street long, in the city center with medieval arcades along its entire course, now housing countless high-street shops * the Gothic Cathedral, started in 1184, expanded in the 1300s by architects Martin and Peter Schiche and completed in the early 16th century by Hans Lutz von Schussenried * the ''Waaghaus'' at the central Kornplatz (piazza del Grano), the former site of the public weighbridge * the Old Parish Church of Gries, with an altarpiece by
Michael Pacher Michael Pacher ( 1435 – 1498) was a painter and sculptor from Tyrol active during the second half of the fifteenth century. He was one of the earliest artists to introduce the principles of Renaissance painting into Germany. Pacher was a compre ...
* the
benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monastery of Muri-Gries, with baroque paintings by
Martin Knoller Martin Knoller (18 November 1725 – 24 July 1804) was an Austrian-Italian painter active in Italy who is remembered for his fresco work. Biography Born in Steinach am Brenner near the Austrian city of Innsbruck, Knoller studied under Paul Troge ...
* the
Chiesa dei Domenicani The Chiesa dei Domenicani () is a medieval church in Bolzano/Bozen, South Tyrol, northern Italy. The church, one of the earliest examples of Gothic architecture in Tyrol, was founded by the Dominican Order, Dominicans after their arrival, in a l ...
/Dominikanerkirche (13th century), with a series of 14th-century Gothic paintings * various castles, including '' Castle Maretsch'', ''
Runkelstein Castle Runkelstein Castle (; ) is a medieval fortification on a rocky spur in the territory of Ritten, near the city of Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy. In 1237 Alderich Prince-Bishopric of Trent, Prince-Bishop of Trent gave the brothers Friedrich and Be ...
'' and '' Firmian/Sigmundskron Castle'' * '' Victory Monument'' triumphal arch built under
Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his overthrow in 194 ...
(1928); now put in context as part of an exhibition on the two dictatorships of Italian
Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
and German
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
* the former
Casa del Fascio A ''casa del Fascio'', ''casa Littoria'', or ''casa del Littorio'' () was a building housing the local branch of the National Fascist Party and later the Republican Fascist Party under the regime of Italian Fascism, in Italy and Italian Empire, i ...
, another fascist-era monument preserved but recontextualized in 2017 For more historical and geographical information see
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
.


Culture


Museums

*
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology (; ) is an archaeological museum in the city of Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy. It is the home of the preserved body of Ötzi the Iceman. History The museum was specifically established in 1998 to house "Ötzi", a ...
, is the exhibition location of the
Ötzi Ötzi, also called The Iceman, is the natural mummy of a man who lived between 3350 and 3105 BC. Ötzi's remains were discovered on 19 September 1991, in the Ötztal Alps (hence the nickname "Ötzi", ) at the Austria–Italy border. He i ...
mummy. The museum also exhibits other archaeological finds from the South Tyrolean region. Due to the Ötzi, it is one of the leading archaeological museums in Italy. *
Runkelstein Castle Runkelstein Castle (; ) is a medieval fortification on a rocky spur in the territory of Ritten, near the city of Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy. In 1237 Alderich Prince-Bishopric of Trent, Prince-Bishop of Trent gave the brothers Friedrich and Be ...
, was built in 1237 by the brothers Friedrich and Beral von Wangen. The castle became known for its extensive and profane
fresco Fresco ( 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 plaster, the painting become ...
cycle from the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. *
Bolzano City Museum Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The g ...
; The collections of the museum include works of art as paintings, sculptures,
altars An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in Christian ...
and folklore objects of daily life from all over
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
. The access to the museum is limited and only a part of the valuable collection is visible. The museum, built in 1905, is in the planning stage for an extension that would be fully accessible. * Nature Museum South Tyrol, is dedicated to areas such as geology, flora and fauna. The exhibition shows the emergence of South Tyrolean landscapes, for example the
Dolomites The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...
, and natural science collections from the South Tyrolean region. *
Museion The Mouseion of Alexandria (; ), which arguably included the Library of Alexandria, was an institution said to have been founded by Ptolemy I Soter and his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Originally, the word ''mouseion'' meant any place that was ...
, is a museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. The museum was founded in 1985 and today, since 2008, has its headquarters on "Talferwiesen". The modern cube, including bridges, was planned by the architects' office "Krüger, Schubert, Vandreike (KSV)". * Mercantile Museum of Bolzano, tells about the economic history of Bolzano and its importance in Central Europe as a bridge between North and South. The museum used to be the seat of the former
Mercantile Magistrate Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of credi ...
. It also documents the trade fairs and their significance for the trading city. *
Bolzano School Museum Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The g ...
, reports about the development of the school in South Tyrol since the introduction of the compulsory education of Empress
Maria Theresia Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position in her own right. She was the sovereig ...
in the year 1774. Special features of this museum are, among other things, the presentation of the catacomb schools and the documentation about the Jewish school home near
Merano Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its Spa town, spa resorts, it is located within a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to Height above mean sea ...
. * Bolzano Cathedral Treasury, was founded in 2007 and has its seat near the Cathedral of Bolzano. The museum shows
sacred art Religious art is a visual representation of religious ideologies and their relationship with humans. Sacred art directly relates to religious art in the sense that its purpose is for worship and religious practices. According to one set of definit ...
such as church treasures, 18th-century paintings and goldsmithing. * MMM Firmian, is one of six locations of the museum project of mountaineer
Reinhold Messner Reinhold Andreas Messner (; born 17 September 1944) is an Italian climber, explorer, and author from the German-speaking province of South Tyrol. He made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest and, along with Peter Habeler, the first ascent o ...
. The MMM Firmian is located at
Sigmundskron Castle Sigmundskron Castle (, ) is an extensive castle and set of fortifications near Bolzano in South Tyrol. Today its ruins house the fourth mountain museum established by the South Tyrolean mountaineer, Reinhold Messner. On 9 June 2006 the ''MMM'' (Me ...
and is also the headquarters of the project. Themes of this museum are the history of mountaineering and the art of mountaineering. It shows the connection between the people and the mountains. Additionally, Reinhold Messner's experiences, collections and memories of the expeditions will be exhibited. * Semi-rural House, was one of many houses built in the Semi-rural zone during the 1930s for industrial workers. It documents the development of this district at that time until the 1980s. * Documentation Center "BZ '18–'45: one monument, one city, two dictatorships", Victory Monument. The museum is located below the Victory Monument and documents the time of the population of Bolzano and South Tyrol during the
Italian fascism Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...
and after 1943 the German
National Socialism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was frequ ...
. It is the first museum in Italy to work on the fascism under Benito Mussolini. In 2016, the Museum received considerable recognition from the jury of the
European Museum of the Year Award The European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) is presented each year by the European Museum Forum (European Museum Forum, EMF) under the auspices of the Council of Europe. The EMYA is considered the most important annual award in the European mus ...
for exhibiting this sensitive topic. * Pons Drusi Museum, located in the retirement home "Grieserhof" and showing archaeological remains such as frescoes and vases from Roman antiquity. The remaining walls indicate a former temple complex and a building with a pillared hall. Several objects from the first century AD were found, showing the life of the Romans in Gries-Bolzano at that time.


Libraries and archives

* Tessmann Library * University Library of Bozen-Bolzano * South Tyrolean Provincial Archives *
Civic Archives in Bozen-Bolzano The Civic Archives in Bozen-Bolzano (; ) is the municipal archive of the city of Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy. It is located in the old town hall and stores documents from over 700 years of civic and regional history. History The records of t ...


Cinema and theater

* Bolzano Civic Theater - Stadttheater Bozen; the new city theater was opened in 1999 according to the plans of the architect
Marco Zanuso Marco Zanuso (14 May 1916 – 11 July 2001) was an Italian modernist architect and designer. Early life Marco Zanuso was born in Milan (Italy) 14 May 1916. He was one of a group of Italian designers from Milan shaping the international idea of " ...
. For a long time, the city had no city theater because the old one was destroyed in World War II. It is the seat of the United Stages Bolzano (VBB) and has 2 halls. The theater features performances in Italian and German. * Concert Hall Bolzano, was also opened in 1999 and is the seat of the
Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano and Trento Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
. Every two years the famous
Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition The Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition is a music competition for young pianists that takes place in Bolzano, Italy. It was founded in 1949 by Cesare Nordio in memory of the pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. History The firs ...
is held in the auditorium. * Haus der Kultur
Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide (; ) was a Minnesänger who composed and performed love-songs and political songs ('' Sprüche'') in Middle High German. Walther has been described as the greatest German lyrical poet before Goethe; his hundred or s ...
(Culture house Walther von der Vogelweide), is a theater that presents a majority of performances in German. It is located in the center of the city and can accommodate about 500 people. * Teatro Cristallo, is located outside the center in Dalmatienstreet. Most of the performances are presented in Italian. * Stadttheater Gries (City theater Gries), located in the district of Gries-Quirein and can accommodate 371 people. Performances are presented in German and Italian. * Theater im Hof (Theatre in the courtyard), is located on Obstplatz and dedicated to the children and youth theater. An additional focus of the small theater is the topic of "women in and at the theater". * Carambolage; in this venue improvisational theater and other forms of
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
are offered. It is located in the center of the city. * Batzen Sudwerk; below the 600-year-old brewery in the basement is a cultural workshop. Performances are often in the form of
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
. * Teatro Cinema Rainerum; at the Rainerum Institute in the Don Bosco district there is a theater for about 400 people. * Filmclub Bolzano (Movie club Bolzano), is a cinema with 3 rooms that also shows several films of regional directors and actors. The Filmclub is also the venue of the Bolzano Filmfestival. The cinema is located in the old town of Bolzano. * Cineplexx, was opened in 2009 and it offers a majority of films in German. In addition to films in German and Italian, other films are also available in English. The cinema has 7 rooms. * UCI Cinema, opened in 2015 and located in the shopping center "Twenty". Most of the 6 halls offer films in Italian. In this cinema are occasionally shown films in English and German.


Cultural events

Bolzano organizes the following events every year: * Südtirol JazzFestival, is a festival that not only takes place in Bolzano but is also performed all over South Tyrol. The jazz festival lasts up to 10 days and performs 90 concerts in 50 different locations with over 150 jazz musicians. International jazz musicians such as
Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. He played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins. After concluding a playing career in the A ...
,
Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock music, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was ...
,
Carla Bley Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936 – October 17, 2023) was an American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she gained acclaim for her jazz opera ''Escalator ...
,
Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...
,
Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was the leader of the Pat Metheny Group (1977–2010) and continues to work in various small-combo, duet, and solo settings, as well as other side pr ...
, and
Collin Walcott Collin Walcott (April 24, 1945 – November 8, 1984) was an American musician who worked on jazz and world music. Early life Walcott was born in New York City, United States. He studied violin and tympani in his youth, and was a percussion stud ...
participated in this event. *
Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition The Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition is a music competition for young pianists that takes place in Bolzano, Italy. It was founded in 1949 by Cesare Nordio in memory of the pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. History The firs ...
, is an international piano competition that is held every 2 years. This competition was initiated by the director of the Conservatory of Music "Claudio Monteverdi" in memory of the 25th anniversary of the death of
Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...
. The artist influenced Italian and German music art and was therefore a symbol of the South Tyrolean culture. * Bolzano Filmfestival Bozen; The first Bolzano film festival was held in 1987 under the name "Bozner Filmtage". It serves as a platform for the local film scene and creates contact between filmmakers and audiences. Films in Italian and German are shown. Artists like
Tobias Moretti Tobias Moretti (; born Tobias Bloéb; 11 July 1959) is an Austrian actor. Biography Born in Gries am Brenner, Tyrol, Moretti is the eldest of four brothers, including Thomas, Christoph and fellow actor Gregor Bloéb. Since 1997, he has been mar ...
,
Fred Zinnemann Alfred Zinnemann (April 29, 1907 – March 14, 1997) was an American film director and producer. He won four Academy Awards for directing and producing films in various genres, including thriller film, thrillers, western (genre), westerns, film ...
,
Herbert Achternbusch Herbert Achternbusch ( Schild; 23 November 1938 – 10 January 2022) was a German film director, writer and painter. He began as a writer of avant-garde prose, such as the novel ''Die Alexanderschlacht'', before turning to low-budget films. He h ...
,
Michele Placido Michele Placido (; born 19 May 1946) is an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He began his career on stage, and first gained mainstream attention through a series of roles in films directed by the likes of Mario Monicelli and Marco Belloc ...
, and Jiri Menzel participated in this event. * Bolzano Festival Bozen, is a festival that takes place every summer and offers classical music. The
European Union Youth Orchestra The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) is a youth orchestra with members drawn from the 27 members states of the European Union. Since its foundation in 1976, it has connected music colleges and the professional music world for generations ...
, the
Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester (GMJO) is a youth orchestra based in Vienna, Austria, founded in 1986 by conductor Claudio Abbado, and named after Gustav Mahler. It is an associated member of the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras. ...
and the participants of the Ferruccio Busoni Competition are performing regularly. * Tanz Bozen - Bolzano Danza, is an international contemporary dance festival and is held every summer. It is a festival that shows different dance performances in different places of the city. It is organized by the Haydn Foundation of Bolzano and Trento. * Christmas market Bozen; The Bolzano Christmas Market was founded in 1990 as Italy's first Christmas market. The stands are located in different places of the old town. With over 1.2 million visitors (2005), the Bolzano Christmas Market is the most visited in Italy. * Bolzano ShortFilmFestival, also collaborates with the Bolzano Filmfestival and awards prizes for the best short films without words ("No Words"). Independently of the Bolzano Filmfestival it also awards prizes for the best Italian short film. The festival was held in 1968 for the first time.


Education


Free University of Bozen-Bolzano

The
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italian language, Italian: ''Libera Università di Bolzano'', German language, German: ''Freie Universität Bozen'', Ladin language, Ladin: ''Università Liedia de Bulsan'') is a university primarily loc ...
was founded in 1997 and has its headquarters in the city of Bolzano. It offers trilingual courses in German, Italian and English. The unibz was the first trilingual university in Europe. Other university locations are in
Brixen Brixen (; , ; or , ) is a town and communes of Italy, commune in South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about north of Bolzano. Geography Brixen is the third-largest city and oldest town in the province, with a population of nearly twenty-three t ...
and
Bruneck Bruneck (; or Ladin language, Ladin: ''Bornech'' or ''Burnech''; or ''Brunopolis'') is the largest town in the Puster Valley in the Italy, Italian province of South Tyrol. Geography Bruneck rises up in the middle of a wide valley (perhaps a ...
. Through the
Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino In European politics, the term Euroregion usually refers to a transnational co-operation structure between two (or more) contiguous territories located in different European countries. Euroregions represent a specific type of cross-border region ...
, the university also works closely together with the universities of
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
and
Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also known in English as Trent, is a city on the Adige, Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the Trentino, autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ...
. The University of Bolzano has the following five faculties: * Economics * Computer science * Design and arts * Science and technology * Education


State College of Health Professions "Claudiana"

The State College of Health Professions "Claudiana" was founded in 1993 and has since 2006 its headquarters next to the regional hospital of Bolzano outside the center. The college was named after the Regent of the Austrian
County of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an Imperial State, estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with th ...
, Claudia de Medici. The college serves to train health professionals, such as nurses, midwives, technical medicine and rehabilitation specialists. Teaching is in Italian and German.


Conservatory "Claudio Monteverdi"

The conservatory "Claudio Monteverdi" is a college of music in Bolzano. The conservatory was founded in 1927 and has since been named after the former Italian composer
Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string instrument, string player. A composer of both Secular music, secular and Church music, sacred music, and a pioneer ...
. The rooms of the conservatory are located in the Dominican monastery. The Academy of Music gained international recognition through the biennial
Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition The Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition is a music competition for young pianists that takes place in Bolzano, Italy. It was founded in 1949 by Cesare Nordio in memory of the pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. History The firs ...
.


Transport

Bolzano is connected to the motorway network A22- E45 to
Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also known in English as Trent, is a city on the Adige, Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the Trentino, autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ...
and
Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
and to
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
(Austria) and
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
(Germany). In Bolzano South there is a transport hub that connects the dual carriageway MeBo with the A22 motorway. The dual carriageway MeBo (
Merano Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its Spa town, spa resorts, it is located within a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to Height above mean sea ...
- Bolzano) was completed in 1997 to quickly connect the two metropolitan areas of
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
, Merano and Bolzano, and to relieve the surrounding communities in the district of
Burggrafenamt The Burggrafenamt ( , ) is a district (, ) in the western part of the Italian province of South Tyrol. It comprises the part of the Adige river valley between Naturns and Bolzano, and its side valleys Passeier Valley and Ulten Valley. Overview ...
and the old former two-lane State street SS38 (Strada statale 38). The city is also connected to the Italian railway system. Bolzano railway station, opened in 1859, forms part of the Brenner railway (Verona–Innsbruck), which is part of the main railway route between Italy and Germany. The station is also a
junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (2012 film), an American film * ''Junction'' (2024 film), an American film * ''Jjunction'', a 2002 Indian film * ''Junction'' (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (E ...
of two branch lines, to
Merano Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its Spa town, spa resorts, it is located within a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to Height above mean sea ...
and
Mals Mals (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and a village 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 gules a ...
. The station of Bolzano is served by
Frecciarossa ''Frecciarossa'' (; from , "red arrow") is a high-speed train of the Italian national train operator, Trenitalia, as well as a member of the train category Le Frecce. The name was introduced in 2008 after it had previously been known as Euro ...
and
Frecciargento ''Frecciargento'' (; from , "silver arrow") is a high-speed train of the Italian national train operator, Trenitalia, as one of its '' Le Frecce'' brands (along with '' Frecciarossa'' and '' Frecciabianca''). The name was introduced in 2012; these ...
trains of
Trenitalia Trenitalia Società per azioni, SpA is the primary train operator of Italy. A subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, itself owned by the Italian government. It was established in 2000 following a European Union directive on the deregulati ...
, Italo EVO of
Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori is an Italian open-access train operating company operating in the field of high-speed rail transport under the brand name Italo (), stylized as ''.italo''. Commencing services in early 2012, it became Europe's first private open access operat ...
(from August 2018) and
EuroCity EuroCity (EC) is an international Train categories in Europe, train category and brand for European inter-city rail, inter-city trains that cross international borders and meet criteria covering comfort, speed, food service, and cleanliness. E ...
trains of
ÖBB The Austrian Federal Railways ( , formally or () and formerly the or ''BBÖ'' ), now commonly known as ÖBB (), is the national railway company of Austria, and the administrator of Liechtenstein's railways. The ÖBB group i ...
. A two-line
light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
network is planned to serve Bolzano, at a length of with 17 stops, with a projected cost of €192 million. There is a network of cycle paths, and about 30% of journeys in Bolzano are made by bicycle. Until summer 2015 there was a regular connection between
Bolzano Airport Bolzano Airport (, ) is a regional airport near Bolzano in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy and serves as the home base for Sky Alps. History The airport was established in October 1926 with a landing runway. Darwin Airline ceas ...
(IATA: BZO) and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. In summer charter flights are offered to
Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
,
Olbia Olbia (, ; ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune of 61,000 inhabitants in the Italy, Italian insular province of Sassari in northeastern Sardinia, Italy, in the historical region of Gallura. Called in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle ...
,
Lamezia Terme Lamezia Terme (), commonly called Lamezia, is an Italian city and ''comune'' of 70,452 inhabitants (2013), in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region. History The municipality of Lamezia Terme was formally created on 4 January 1968. It ...
and
Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...
. Since 1966 a
cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** ...
connects the centre of Bolzano with Oberbozen-Soprabolzano and the community of
Ritten Ritten (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy. Territory The community is named after the high plateau, elevation , the Ritten or the Renon, on which most of the villages are located. The plateau forms the southe ...
. In 2009 the Italian manufacturer Leitner replaced the old cable car with a new modern 3S system. Although the so-called "Rittner Seilbahn" primarily serves the tourist market, it also provides an important transit link for the residents of Renon. The cable car system, which can carry up to 726 persons per hour, is the first tricable gondola lift in Italy. File:A90523cabinaRenonAaa.jpg, Cable car
Ritten Ritten (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy. Territory The community is named after the high plateau, elevation , the Ritten or the Renon, on which most of the villages are located. The plateau forms the southe ...
File:BozenBahnhof05.jpg, Bolzano railway station File:Bozen 1 (278).JPG,
Bolzano Airport Bolzano Airport (, ) is a regional airport near Bolzano in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy and serves as the home base for Sky Alps. History The airport was established in October 1926 with a landing runway. Darwin Airline ceas ...


Sport

The town is host to an annual
road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ru ...
competition – the
BOclassic The BOclassic Alto Adige is an annual road running competition over the distance of 10 kilometres for men and 5 kilometres for women. It is held on New Year's Eve in Bolzano, Italy. The competition has only elite races, competed between a limited ...
– which features an elite men's 10K and women's 5K races. The event, first held in 1975, takes place on
New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
and is broadcast live on television by Rai Sport Più. Bolzano is also the host city to the Giro delle Dolomiti annual road bike event.


Local teams

Football *
F.C. Südtirol FC may refer to: Businesses, organisations, and schools * Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India * Finncomm Airlines (IATA code) * FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC * Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakist ...
* A.C. Virtus Bolzano * Bozner F.C. * F.C. Neugries * F.C. Bolzano 1996 * Virtus Don Bosco Handball * Loacker Bozen Handball A-Elite Liga Ice hockey * EV Bozen 96 plays in Serie A2 * HC Bolzano Bozen Foxes plays in Serie A1 and the EBEL League, winning the EBEL title in 2014, their debut year Rugby * Sudtirolo Rugby Cavaliers play in the Italian Serie C American football * Giants Bolzano play in the IFL (Italian Football League), the first league of the FIDAF Softball and baseball * Adler * Pool 77 * Softball Club Dolomiti Fistball *
SSV Bozen SSV may refer to: * SSV (band), a German techno music group * Soviet command ship SSV-33 * Special Service Vehicles (SSVs), North American police vehicles * Small saphenous vein * SSV (game architecture), by SETA, Sammy, and Visco * SSV Helsinki, a ...
plays in the FBL (Austrian Fistball League), the first Austrian league.


People

Notable people born in or associated with Bolzano include: ;14th century * Blessed
Henry of Treviso Henry of Treviso (; ) (died 1315), also known as Henry of Bolzano or Blessed Rigo, was a lay pilgrim and holy man, a German people, German from Bolzano (Bozen), who established himself in Treviso after the death of his wife and son. There he lived ...
(died 1315), a lay pilgrim and holy man, a German from Bolzano ;18th century *
Joseph Tiefenthaler Joseph Tiefenthaler (or Tieffenthaler or Tieffentaller) (27 August 1710 – 5 July 1785) was a Jesuit missionary and one of the earliest European geographers to write about India. Life and travels Tiefenthaler was born in Bozen, in the county ...
(1710–1785), a Jesuit missionary who wrote about India * Johann Nepomuk von Tschiderer zu Gleifheim (1777–1860), Prince-Bishop of Trent *
Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria Archduke Rainer of Austria (30 September 1783 – 16 January 1853) was a Viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia from 1818 to 1848. He was also an Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia. Biography Rainer was a son of Emp ...
(1783–1853), Viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia * Jacob Anton Zallinger zum Thurn (1735–1813), philosopher and canonist * Annette of Menz (1796–1869), in 1811 she was the richest heiress in Bolzano * Jakob Schgraffer (1799-1859), composer ;19th century *
Daniel Harrwitz Daniel Harrwitz (22 February 1821 – 2 January 1884) was a German chess master. Harrwitz was born in Breslau (Wrocław) in the Prussian Province of Silesia. Harrwitz's correct birth and death dates (22 February 1821 and 2 January 1884 respecti ...
(1821 – 1884), German chess master *
Heinrich Anton of Austria Archduke Heinrich Anton of Austria (Heinrich Anton Maria Rainer Karl Gregor), (May 9, 1828, Milan – November 30, 1891, Vienna) was an Archduke of Austria and Lieutenant field marshal. Early life Heinrich Anton was the fifth son of the Viceroy Ar ...
(1828-1891), Archduke of Austria *
Anton Ausserer Anton Ausserer (5 July 184320 July 1889)Maurer, Ferdinand: ''Nachruf an Dr. Anton Ausserer.'' Programm des kk. acad. Gymnasiums in Grätz. Graz 1890 was an Austrian natural history, naturalist specialising in spiders.Bonnet, Pierre: Bibliographi ...
(1843–1889), naturalist and
arachnologist Arachnology is the scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, ticks, and mites. Those who study spiders and other arachnids are arachnologists. More narrowly ...
*
Alois Riehl Alois Adolf Riehl (; 27 April 1844 – 21 November 1924) was an Austrian neo-Kantian philosopher. He was born in Bozen (Bolzano) in the Austrian Empire (now in Italy). He was the brother of the Austrian engineer and building contractor . Biograp ...
(1844–1924), neo-Kantian philosopher *
Julius Perathoner Julius Perathoner (Dietenheim (Bruneck), 28 February 1849 – Bolzano, 17 April 1926) was an Austro-Hungarian politician who became an Italian citizen after the Treaty of Saint-Germain. He was one of the most important exponents of the Liberal Par ...
(1849–1926), last mayor of Bolzano of German ethnicity, 1895-1922 *
Alois Delug Alois Delug (25 May 1859 – 17 September 1930) was an Austrian painter and a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. He may be remembered best for his supposed role in rejecting Adolf Hitler's application to join the academy. Life A ...
(1859–1930), painter and a professor at the
Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna () is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1688 as a private academy, it is now a public university. The academy is also known for twice rejecting admission to a young Adolf Hitler in 1907 and 1908. ...
; rejected Adolf Hitler's application to join the academy. *
Ludwig Thuille Ludwig Wilhelm Andreas Maria Thuille (30 November 1861 – 5 February 1907) was an Austrian composer and teacher, numbered for a while among the leading operatic composers of the so-called Munich School of composers, whose most famous representa ...
(1861–1907), composer, teacher and music theorist *
Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Don Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain (Full Italian language, Italian name: ''Carlo Maria Francesco d'Assisi Pasquale Ferdinando Antonio di Padova Francesco de Paola Alfonso Andrea Avelino Tancredi, Principe di Borbone dell ...
(1870–1949), member of the Spanish Royal family * Karl Theodor Hoeniger (1881–1970), author and cultural historian *
Ressel Orla Ressel Orla (born Theres Anna Ochs; 18 May 1889 – 23 July 1931) was an Austrian stage and film actress. She appeared in some of Fritz Lang's earliest films. Selected filmography * '' The Firm Gets Married'' (1914) * ''The Queen's Secretary'' ( ...
(1889–1931), actress, appeared in some of
Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...
's earliest films *
Max Valier Max Valier (9 February 1895 – 17 May 1930) was an Austrian rocketry pioneer. He was a leading figure in the world's first large-scale rocket program, Opel-RAK, and helped found the German ''Verein für Raumschiffahrt'' (VfR – "Spacefligh ...
(1895–1930), rocketry pioneer, astronomer and writer * Christian Hess (1895–1944), painter and sculptor * Walther Oberhaidacher (1896–1945), Austrian Nazi Party politician ;20th century *
Josef Mayr-Nusser Josef Mayr-Nusser (27 December 1910 – 24 February 1945) was an Italian Roman Catholic who served as the President of the Saint Vincent de Paul Conference of the Bolzano division as well as a member of Catholic Action. He is known best for refus ...
(1910–1945), South Tyrolean leader of the resistance against Nazi rule *
Maria Luise Thurmair Maria Luise Thurmair née Mumelter (27 September 1912 – 24 October 2005) was a German Catholic theologian, hymnodist and writer. She contributed the lyrics of many hymns when the Catholic hymnal ''Gotteslob'' was first published in 1975. Care ...
(1912–2005), a Catholic theologian, hymnodist and writer *
Carlo Maria Giulini Carlo Maria Giulini (; 9 May 1914 – 14 June 2005) was an Italian conductor. From the age of five, when he began to play the violin, Giulini's musical education was expanded when he began to study at Italy's foremost conservatory, the Conserv ...
(1914–2005), conductor *
Silvius Magnago Silvius Magnago (5 February 191425 May 2010) was a South Tyrolean politician who served as Chairman of the South Tyrolean People's Party from 1957 to 1991 and as Governor of South Tyrol from 1960 to 1989. Biography Magnago was born in Meran ...
(1914-2010), lawyer and politician *
Maria Gardena Maria Gardena (born Herthilde Gabloner; 1920 – 2008) was an Italian film actress and later architect. Herthilde Gabloner was the daughter of sculptor Ignaz Gabloner and studied architecture in Rome. During those years had a brief acting ca ...
(1920–2008) film actress and later architect * Alcide Berloffa (1922-2011), politician *
Valentin Braitenberg Valentino Braitenberg (or ''Valentin von Braitenberg''; 18 June 1926 – 9 September 2011) was an Italian neuroscientist and cyberneticist. He was a former director at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany. Hi ...
(1926-2011), brain researcher,
cyberneticist Cybernetics is the transdisciplinary study of circular causal processes such as feedback and recursion, where the effects of a system's actions (its outputs) return as inputs to that system, influencing subsequent action. It is concerned with ...
and writer *
Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly M ...
(1928-2011), actress * Herbert Rosendorfer (1934–2012), German jurist and writer * Giuseppe Anfossi (born 1935), bishop emeritus of the
Diocese of Aosta The Diocese of Aosta (, , ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church. It has existed in its modern form since 1817. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Turin in Italy.Adolf Dallapozza Adolf Dallapozza (born 14 March 1940 in Bolzano) is an Austrian tenor in opera, operetta and musical theatre He worked for more than 40 years at the Vienna Volksoper. Career Dallapozza was trained as a clerk and started work in a book shop. At th ...
(born 1940), tenor in opera, operetta and musical theatre at the
Vienna Volksoper The Vienna Volksoper (''Volksoper'' or ''Vienna People's Opera'') is an opera house in Vienna, Austria. It produces three hundred performances of twenty-five German language productions of opera, operetta, musicals, and ballet, during an annual s ...
*
Ottavia Piccolo Ottavia Piccolo (born 9 October 1949) is an Italian actress. Biography Born in Bolzano, Piccolo began her acting debut in the stage adaption of ''The Miracle Worker'' at the age of 11 under the direction of Luigi Squarzina. She has also appear ...
(born 1949), theatre and film actress *
Matteo Thun Matteo Thun (full name Mathäus Antonius Maria Graf von Thun and Hohenstein, 17 June 1952 Bolzano, Italy) is an Italian architect and designer. Early life Mathäus Antonius Maria Graf von Thun und Hohenstein was born in Bolzano in 1952. He was t ...
(born 1952), an architect and designer *
Andrea Bonatta Andrea Bonatta (born April 27, 1952, Bolzano, Italy) is an Italian pianist and conductor. Life Bonatta was born in Bolzano (South Tyrol). His mother Marcella Balestri was a professional pianist and his first teacher. He studied piano at the C ...
(born 1952), pianist and conductor * Franz Fischnaller (born 1954), new media artist and transdisciplinary researcher *
Cuno Tarfusser Cuno Jakob Tarfusser (born 11 August 1954) was an Italian judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Education and early career Tarfusser studied at the University of Innsbruck and the University of Padova. Prior to his appointment to the ...
(born 1954), former judge of the International Criminal Court *
Lilli Gruber Dietlinde "Lilli" Gruber (born 19 April 1957) is an Italian journalist and former politician. Currently a talk show host for Italian private television channel La7, Gruber also served as Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to September ...
(born 1957), journalist, former politician and TV talk show host * Marco Bergamo (1966-2017) ''the Monster of Bolzano'', an Italian serial killer * Sergio Azzolini (born 1967) bassoonist and music conductor *
Anna Unterberger Anna Unterberger (born 23 September 1985) is an Italian actress from Bozen. Life While Anna was a child, her Danish mother worked in a theatre with disabled people. By the time she was in high school she knew she wanted to be an actress. After ...
(born 1985) actress ;Sport *
Paula Wiesinger Paula (Paola) Rosa Wiesinger later Steger (27 February 1907 – 12 June 2001) was a pioneering Italian alpine skier and mountain climber who competed at one edition of Winter Olympics and three editions of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship ...
(1907-2001), mountaineer, ski racer and restaurateur *
Erika Lechner Erika Lechner (sometimes listed as Erica Lechner, born 28 May 1947 in Bolzano) is an Italian luger who competed during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, she originally finished third in the women's singles e ...
(born 1947), luger, medallist at the
1968 Winter Olympics The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. The 1968 Winter Games marked the first time ...
*
Hans Kammerlander Hans Kammerlander (born 6 December 1956, Sand in Taufers, South Tyrol, Italy) is an Italian mountaineer, living in Ahornach, a hamlet nearby Sand in Taufers. He has climbed 11 of the 14 8000m peaks. In 1984, together with Reinhold Messner he ...
(born 1956), mountaineer *
Antonella Bellutti Antonella Bellutti (born 7 November 1968) is an Italian racing cyclist and two-time Olympic champion in track cycling. She won the pursuit at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the points race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.< ...
(born 1968), racing cyclist and two-time Olympic champion in track cycling *
Gerda Weissensteiner Gerda Weissensteiner OMRI (born 3 January 1969) is an Italian luger and bobsleigh pilot who competed from the late 1980s to 2006. Competing in six Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles luge event at the 1994 Winter Olymp ...
(born 1969), luger and bobsleigh pilot, competed in six Winter Olympics, gold medallist in the women's singles luge at the
1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Hav ...
and bronze medallist in the two-woman bobsleigh at the
2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...
* Ylenia Scapin (born 1975), judoka, won two Olympic medals in different weight classes in 1996 and 2000. *
Isolde Kostner Isolde Kostner (born 20 March 1975) is an Italian former Alpine skiing, Alpine skier who won two bronze medals at the 1994 Winter Olympics, 1994 Winter Olympics and a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, 2002 Winter Olympics. She was the It ...
(born 1975), Alpine skier, two bronze medals at the
1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Hav ...
and a silver medal at the
2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...
*
Karen Putzer Karen Putzer (born 29 September 1978) is a former Italian alpine skier. Biography She was born in Bolzano, Italy. A specialist of Giant slalom and Super-G, with top rankings in Downhill, Slalom and Combined, she won a total of eight World Cu ...
(born 1978), former alpine skier, bronze medallist at the
2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...
*
Andreas Seppi Andreas Seppi (born 21 February 1984) is an Italian former professional tennis player. He reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 18 on 28 January 2013. He became the first Italian to win a title on all three surfaces. Personal lif ...
(born 1984), tennis player, has reached a career-high singles ranking of World Nr. 18. *
Manuela Gostner Manuela Gostner (born 19 May 1984 in Bolzano) is a racing driver from Italy. Biography A member of the Gostner family synonymous with Ferrari Challenge competition, Manuela entered the European championship with encouragement from her brother Da ...
(born 1984), racing driver *
Tania Cagnotto Tania Cagnotto (; born 15 May 1985) is an Italian Diving (sport), diver. She is the first female Italian diver to win a medal in a World Championship. A five-time Olympian, she won medals in both individual and synchronized springboard diving in ...
(born 1985), world and European champion in diving, Olympic bronze and silver medallist *
Carolina Kostner Carolina Kostner (born 8 February 1987) is an Italian figure skater. She is the Figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics, 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2012 World Figure Skating Championships, 2012 World champion, a five-time European Figu ...
(born 1987), figure skater, World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist * Raphael Andergassen (born 1993), ice hockey player *
Alex Trivellato Alex Trivellato (born 5 January 1993 in Bolzano) is an Italian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing for Schwenninger Wild Wings of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Playing career Trivellato spent the 2015–16 season, ...
(born 1993), ice hockey player * Peter Hochkofler (born 1994), ice hockey player *
Simone Giannelli Simone Giannelli (born 9 August 1996) is an Italian volleyball player, a member of the Italy men's national volleyball team and Italian club Sir Safety Umbria Volley, Sir Safety Perugia, silver medalist of the 2015 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cu ...
(born 1996) , volleyball player


International relations


Twin towns – sister cities

Bolzano is twinned with: *
Erlangen Erlangen (; , ) is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative district Erlangen), and with 119,810 inhabitants (as of 30 September 2024), it is the smalle ...
, Germany *
Koziatyn Koziatyn (also referred to as Kozyatyn; , ; ; ) is a city in the Vinnytsia Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of the Koziatyn Raion (district); the city itself was not a part of the district and was separ ...
, Ukraine *
Sopron Sopron (; , ) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő. History Ancient times-13th century In the Iron Age a hilltop settlement with a burial ground existed in the neighbourhood of Sopron-Várhely. When ...
, Hungary


See also

*
History of South Tyrol Modern-day South Tyrol, an autonomous Italian province created in 1948, was part of the Austro-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian County of Tyrol until 1918 (then known as ''Deutschsüdtirol'' and occasionally ''Mitteltirol''). It was annexed by Kingdom o ...
*
Italianization of South Tyrol In 1919, at the time of its annexation, the middle part of the County of Tyrol, which is today called South Tyrol (), was inhabited by almost 90% German speakers.Oscar Benvenuto (ed.):South Tyrol in Figures 2008", Provincial Statistics Institute ...
* Jacob Anton Zallinger zum Thurn * Radio Tandem *
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
* Bozner Blutsonntag


References


Sources


External links


Bolzano City Hall Official website
(in Italian and German)
Bolzano Tourist Board Official website
{{Authority control Bolzano