The Ladins are a Romance ethnolinguistic groupJan Markusse: The South Tyrolese Inter-Ethnic Package Deal. An Example for Other Multi-Ethnic Regions?, in: Yearbook of European Studies 6. Borders and Territories. Rodopi, Amsterdam/Atlanta 1993, , p. 193-220. E. g. For the small ethnic group of Ladins the package offers advantages and disadvantages.Christoph Perathoner: Die Dolomitenladiner 1848–1918: ethnisches Bewusstsein und politische Partizipation. Folio, Bozen/Wien 1998, of northern Italy. They are distributed in several valleys, collectively known as Ladinia. These valleys include the valleys of Badia and Gherdëina in South Tyrol, of Fassa in Trentino, and of Livinallongo (also known as Buchenstein or Fodom) and Ampezzo in Belluno. Their native language is Ladin, a Rhaeto-Romance language related to the Swiss Romansh and Friulian languages. Ladinia is located in the historical region of Tyrol, and Ladins share that region's culture, history, traditions, environment and architecture.
History Ladins are thought to be related to Rhaetian people who probably represent the most ancient settlers of the Alps. Around 1000 AD, the Rhaeto-Romance language area was vast, stretching continuously from the Swiss Alps in the west to the Julian Alps in modern-day Slovenia. As Germanic and Slavic populations migrated into the Alps, this large cultural territory was fragmented. Over the centuries, the Ladin people were pushed into high-altitude, isolated mountain valleys, which physically separated them from their linguistic cousins in Switzerland (who speak Romansh) and northeastern Italy (who speak Friulian). Today, the Dolomitic Ladins are one of the last surviving remnants of this once-expansive Alpine population.
Ladins developed a formal national identity in the 19th century. Micurà de Rü undertook the first attempt to develop a written form of the Ladin language. Ladin culture is promoted by the government-sponsored cultural institute Istitut Ladin Micurà de Rü in the South Tyrolean municipality of San Martin de Tor. There is also a Ladin museum in the same municipality. The Ladins of Trentino and Belluno have their own cultural institutes: Majon de Fascegn in Vigo di Fassa, Cesa de Jan in Colle Santa Lucia and Istituto Ladin de la Dolomites in Borca di Cadore.
The Ladin people constitute 4.53% of the population of South Tyrol.
Communities
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left" |- style="background-color:#efefef;" ! align="center" | LadinName || align="center" | ItalianName || align="center" | GermanName || align="center" | Province || align="center" | Area(km2) || align="center" | Population |- | Anpezo | Cortina d’Ampezzo | Hayden | Belluno | align=right|255 | align=right|6,150 |- | Urtijëi | Ortisei | St. Ulrich in Gröden | rowspan="3" | South Tyrol | align=right|24 | align=right|4,569 |- | Badia | Badia | Abtei | align=right|82 | align=right|3,237 |- | Mareo | Marebbe | Enneberg | align=right|161 | align=right|2,684 |- | Moéna | Moena | Moena | Trentino | align=right|82 | align=right|2,628 |- | Sëlva | Selva di Val Gardena | Wolkenstein in Gröden | South Tyrol | align=right|53 | align=right|2,589 |- | Poza | Pozza di Fassa | Potzach im Fassatal | rowspan="2" | Trentino | align=right|73 | align=right|1,983 |- | Cianacei | Canazei | Kanzenei | align=right|67 | align=right|1,844 |- | Santa Cristina Gherdëina | Santa Cristina Valgardena | St. Christina in Gröden | rowspan="2" | South Tyrol | align=right|31 | align=right|1,840 |- | San Martin de Tor | San Martino in Badia | St. Martin in Thurn | align=right|76 | align=right|1,727 |- | Fodom | Livinallongo del Col di Lana | Buchenstein | Belluno | align=right|99 | align=right|1,436 |- | Corvara | Corvara | Kurfar | rowspan="3" | South Tyrol | align=right|42 | align=right|1,266 |- | La Val | La Valle | Wengen | align=right|39 | align=right|1,251 |- | Låg | Laghetti | Laag | align=right|23 | align=right|1,284 |- | Vich | Vigo di Fassa | Vig im Fassatal | rowspan="4" | Trentino | align=right|26 | align=right|1,142 |- | Ciampedèl | Campitello di Fassa | Kampidel im Fassatal | align=right|25 | align=right|732 |- | Sorèga | Soraga | Überwasser | align=right|19 | align=right|677 |- | Mazin | Mazzin | Mazzin | align=right|23 | align=right|440 |- | Col | Colle Santa Lucia | Verseil | Belluno | align=right|15 | align=right|418
Gallery
Notable people Maria Canins, Cyclist (twice winner of the Tour de France Féminin), cross-country skier (15-time national champion) and mountain runner. Nadia Delago, professional alpine skier, 2022 Olympic bronze medalist. Nicol Delago, professional alpine skier Giorgio Moroder, singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer Ettore Sottsass, photographer, architect and designer Carolina Kostner, figure skater, 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, 2012 World champion, and five-time European champion. Simon Kostner, ice hockey player, represented the Italian national team in several tournaments. Erwin Kostner, ice hockey player, competed in the men's tournament at the 1984 Winter Olympics. Kristian Ghedina, World Cup alpine ski racer whose thirteen victories are the most by an Italian downhill specialist in World Cup history. Simona Senoner, cross-country racer and ski jumper Peter Runggaldier, professional Alpine skier
See also The Ladinian, a stage/age of the Triassic period named for the Ladin people Nones dialect Raeti Rhaeto-Romance
Further reading Tobia Moroder (Ed.): The Ladins of the Dolomites. People, landscape, culture. Vienna/Bozen: Folio 2016,
References
External links Istitut Cultural Ladin Micurà de Rü (in South Tyrol), official site Istitut Cultural Ladin Majon di Fascegn (in Trentino), official site Istitut Cultural Ladin Cesa de Jan (in Belluno province), official site