Ladins


The Ladins are an ethnolinguistic group 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 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.
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

Notable people