Ritten (German pronunciation: [ˈrɪtn̩]; Italian: Renon [reˈnon]) is a comune (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy.

Ritten
Gemeinde Ritten
Comune di Renon
The village of Unterinn in Ritten
The village of Unterinn in Ritten
Coat of arms of Ritten
Location of Ritten
Map
Ritten is located in Italy
Ritten
Ritten
Location of Ritten in Italy
Ritten is located in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Ritten
Ritten
Ritten (Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol)
Coordinates: 46°32′N 11°27′E / 46.533°N 11.450°E / 46.533; 11.450
CountryItaly
RegionTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
ProvinceSouth Tyrol (BZ)
FrazioniOberinn (Auna di Sopra), Unterinn (Auna di Sotto), Atzwang (Campodazzo), Klobenstein (Collalbo), Lengmoos (Longomoso), Lengstein (Longostagno), Gissmann (Madonnina), Mittelberg (Monte di Mezzo), Rotwand (Pietrarossa), Oberbozen (Soprabolzano), Signat (Signato), Sill, Wangen (Vanga)
Government
 • MayorPaul Lintner
Area
 • Total111 km2 (43 sq mi)
Elevation
1,154 m (3,786 ft)
Population
 (Aug. 2018)[3]
 • Total7.925 [1]
Demonym(s)German: Rittner
Italian: renonesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
39054
Dialing code0471
WebsiteOfficial website

Territory edit

The 111-square-kilometre (43 sq mi) community is named after the high plateau, elevation 1,100 to 1,400 metres (3,600 to 4,600 ft), the Ritten or the Renon, on which most of the villages are located. The plateau forms the southeast tip of the Sarntal Alps mountain range and is located between, and on average 800 metres (2,600 ft) above the rivers Eisack and Talfer. Ritten lies directly northeast of Bolzano, settled on the "meeting point" of the above rivers.

Ritten borders the following municipalities: Barbian, Bolzano, Kastelruth, Karneid, Völs, Jenesien, Sarntal and Villanders.

As of 31 December 2016, Ritten had a population of 7,847.[4]

There are 17 fraziones (subdivisions, usually consisting of one or a few villages and hamlets). These include the central village Klobenstein (Collalbo), in which the townhall is located, as well as Atzwang (Campodazzo), Gissmann (Madonnina), Lengmoos (Longomoso), Lengstein (Longostagno), Mittelberg (Monte di Mezzo), Oberbozen (Soprabolzano), Oberinn (Auna di Sopra), Rotwand (Pietrarossa), Siffian (Siffiano), Signat (Signato), Sill (Castel Novale), Unterinn (Auna di Sotto), Wangen (Vanga), and Wolfsgruben (Costalovara).

Of these only Atzwang and Sill are not located on the plateau, but on the rivers Eisack and Talfer, respectively.

History edit

 
Earth pyramids in Ritten

The mountain ridge is first mentioned in AD 871–75 as "Mons Ritanus" and then in 1027 as "Mons Rittena".[5] Already around 1200 a mountain inn was established on the plateau. In 1237 Runkelstein Castle was built on a rocky spur in Ritten territory by the lords of Wangen.

The Tyrolean patriotic hero Peter Mayr (1767–1810), involved in the rebellion against Napoleon's forces that occupied Tyrol, was born in the village of Siffian in Ritten.

From the 17th century Ritten has been a popular summer destination for citizens of Bolzano, since the air is considerably cooler on the plateau. Ritten is connected with Bolzano with a provincial road and with a cableway from Oberbozen, one of the longest cableways of the world in one track, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long and 12 minutes to travel. This cableway replaced in 1960 the previous rack railway, built in 1907. The railway is still in function on the mountain side between Maria Himmelfahrt and Klobenstein.

Coat of arms edit

The official community coat of arms consists of gules two chevrons embowed argent; it is the arms of the Lords of Zwingenstein who ruled the village from their castle until 1531. The emblem was adopted in 1967.[6]

Main sights edit

Economy edit

The candy company Loacker is based in Ritten.

Notable people edit

Society edit

Linguistic distribution edit

According to the 2011 census, 95.20% of the population speak German, 4.55% Italian and 0.25% Ladin as first language.[7]

Demographic evolution edit

 
Location of Ritten within South Tyrol

References edit

  1. ^ "Demo-Geodemo. - Mappe, Popolazione, Statistiche Demografiche dell'ISTAT".
  2. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  4. ^ South Tyrol in figures 2008 by the Provincial Statistics Institute ASTAT, part of Istat.
  5. ^ Theodor Bitterauf (1905—09). Die Traditionen des Hochstifts Freising. Beck, Munich, no. 912; Martin Bitschnau, Hannes Obermair (2009). Tiroler Urkundenbuch. Abt. II, Vol. 1. Wagner, Innsbruck. ISBN 978-3-7030-0469-8, p. 170, no. 198.
  6. ^ Heraldry of the World: Ritten
  7. ^ "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.

External links edit

  Media related to Ritten at Wikimedia Commons