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 Bolzano
Where North meets South
"For me, Bolzano is a mountain transformed
into a city. The moment you move, it changes appearance. You
edge forward and the profile is different, you go back and
discover new faces. It speaks different languages. At its heart,
it is an actor, enchanting and contradictory, haughty an
alluring, warm hearted and chilly."
R. Messner
At the Crossroads of Culture
Bolzano, the only city in the world with both a competition in
honor of F. Busoni and a house where Mozart slept. An elegant
salon where different people meet, an exchange of cultures,
music, and performances.
The central Piazza Walther named for the troubadour Walther von
der Vogelweide, one street named for Dante and another for
Goethe; a conservatory carrying the name of Monteverdi an
Orchestra of Haydn. A trilingual University, and an Academy of
Design and a Film School both bilingual. This is what makes
Bolzano a little big capital of European atmosphere!
The Gateway to the Dolomites
 Bolzano lies 265 m above sea level along one of the most important routes
running from the Mediterranean to the North Sea, conecting North and South.
It is surrounded on all sides by mountains. Above the city, in the
Dolomites, lies the "Rosengarten"- the legendary realm of
Laurin, the dwarf king. His enchanted garden glows an unearthly red at
twilight.
Mediterranean climate with alpine splendor
With a yearly average high of 16.6° C (62° F) a yearly average low of 6° C
(43° F), and no fog, Bolzano has a very mild climate.
In fact, a part of Bolzano, the formerly independent town of Gries was a
health resort in the last century, beloved by all because of its climate.
Bolzano is the portal to a world without borders, from the green of parks
and grapevines to the living rock of the Dolomites. Pink mountains fringed
with snow form a backdrop while below lie palms, olive trees, cedars, and
magnolias on the slopes of the hills. An elegant frame for the meeting
between the fresh northern wind and the radiant Mediterranean sun, a
benediction for vines sagging with the weight of bountiful bunches, filled
with the flavors of days gone by.
The Countryside in the city
There are over 300 hectares (740acres) of grapevines within the city limits,
a full one seventh of the total area. In the fall, the aroma of freshly
crushed grapes wafts through the city from its 27 wineries.
 Some history
The recorded history of Bolzano began with the arrival of Roman garrisons in
the 1st century BC, although the area had been inhabited at least 2.500
years earlier.
Today's town center began 900 years ago and is characterized by Gothic
architecture. It was constructed by the bishops of Trento at a key junction
between North and South and included an arcaded avenue to display goods,
with German-speaking tradesmen on one side and their "Italic" counterparts
on the other.
Although it was often touched by war, Bolzano has preferred peace, favoring
first the exchange of merchandise, later languages and customs. .
The wealth that rolled out of the arcades helped the church to erect such
artistic monuments as Giottoesque frescoes, a cathedral bell tower designed
by a Swabian architect, and the carved wooden altar by Michael Pacher. With
the 20th century came Jungenstil and Neo-Gothic styles.
Under fascism, Mussolini mobilized the most talented artists in Italy for
the Triumphal Arch and the courthouse.
Courtesy of
AST Bolzano Bozen
(c) copyright Bolzano-Bozen.it
Recommended hotels and restaurants (we visited them...):
- Turmbach
Appiano sulla strada del Vino - Eppan an der Weinestrasse
-
Schoenblink-Belvedere San Genesio Atesino - Jenesien
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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