Urtijëi (Ladin: [uʀtiˈʒɜi̯] ; German: St. Ulrich in Gröden [zaŋkt ˈʊlrɪç ɪn ˈɡrøːdn̩]; Italian: Ortisei [ortiˈzɛi]) is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps.

Urtijëi
Chemun de Urtijëi
Comune di Ortisei
Gemeinde St. Ulrich
Location of Urtijëi
Map
Urtijëi is located in Italy
Urtijëi
Urtijëi
Location of Urtijëi in Italy
Urtijëi is located in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Urtijëi
Urtijëi
Urtijëi (Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol)
Coordinates: 46°34′N 11°40′E / 46.567°N 11.667°E / 46.567; 11.667
CountryItaly
RegionTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
ProvinceSouth Tyrol (BZ)
Government
 • MayorTobia Moroder[1]
Area
 • Total
24.3 km2 (9.4 sq mi)
Elevation
1,230 m (4,040 ft)
Population
 (31 July 2024)[3]
 • Total
4,741
 • Density200/km2 (510/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Italian: gardenesi
German: Sankt Ulricher
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
39046
Dialing code0471
Patron saintSan Udalricus
Saint dayJuly 4
WebsiteOfficial website

Geography

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Urtijëi borders the following municipalities: Kastelruth, Villnöß, Lajen, and Santa Cristina Gherdëina.

History

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The Ladin-language name Urtijëi derives from the Latin word urtica and the suffix -etum, with the meaning "place of nettles".[4]

From 1860 to 1914, Urtijëi experienced a relevant economic growth due to the opening of a major road connecting Val Gardena to the main railroad; as a result the local woodcarving industry flourished. International tourism developed through the discovery of the Dolomites first by English tourists, and subsequently visitors from other parts of Austria-Hungary as well as the German Empire. Currently, the town's economy is mostly based on winter skiing tourism, summer hiking tourism, and woodcarving.

Coat of arms

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

Blazon: Or, St Ulrich in bishops vestments with a cross Or in right hand, mounted on a white horse Proper with harness of the field and a saddle blanket Azure on a trimount Vert; On a chief Azure, two bees Or between three escutcheons Argent.[5]

Main sights

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  • Parish Church of Urtijëi, made in neoclassical style with baroque elements in the last part of the 18th century.
  • Church of St. Jacob, of ancient foundation, it was remodeled in style Late-Gothic style during the 17th century. It preserves frescoes from the second half of the 15th century and copies of the original baroque furnishings.
  • Church of St. Antonius, built in the second half of the 17th century, it combines the simple Renaissance style structure with a predominantly baroque decorative structure.
  • Church of St. Anna, located in the perimeter of the municipal cemetery, it is in Late-Gothic style. Inside it preserves baroque furnishings.
  • Museum Gherdëina, the local heritage museum, which preserves geological, paleontological and archaeological finds found in the area, as well as a collection of wooden sculptures and toys.
  • The Luis Trenker House of Culture, housed in a building designed by the architect Hubert Prachensky (1916–2009), preserves the ancient bell of the Magister Manfredinus.
  • The bronze statue of the Roman legionary, sculpted in wood in 1904 by Johann Baptist Moroder and fused in bronze in 2001, in front at Villa Venezia.
  • Villa Venezia, home and workshop of the sculptor Johann Baptist Moroder, constructed between 1902 and 1903 following the venetian style of architecture.


Society

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According to the 2011 census, 84.19% of the population speaks Ladin, 9.30% German, and 6.51% Italian as first language.[6]

Notable people

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Franz Moroder by J Moroder-Lusenberg
Moroder family

References

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  1. ^ Ulrich, Gemeinde St. "Tobia Moroder". St. Ulrich (in Austrian German). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  2. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Istat". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Istat. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  4. ^ Kühebacher, Egon (1991), Die Ortsnamen Südtirols und ihre Geschichte. Die geschichtlich gewachsenen Namen der Gemeinden, Fraktionen und Weiler, vol. 1, Bolzano: Athesia, p. 502
  5. ^ Heraldry of the World: Urtijëi
  6. ^ "Volkszählung 2011/Censimento della popolazione 2011". Astat Info (38). Provincial Statistics Institute of the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol: 6–7. June 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
  7. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 14 June 2019
  8. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 14 June 2019
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