Merano
Meran/Merano
Maran (Ladin) | |
---|---|
Comune di Merano Stadtgemeinde Meran | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 39012 |
Dialing code | 0473 |
Patron saint | St Nicholas |
Saint day | December 6 |
Website | Official website |
Merano (UK: /məˈrɑːnoʊ/,[3] US: /meɪˈ-/,[4] Italian: [meˈraːno] ⓘ) or Meran (German: [meˈʁaːn] ⓘ) is a comune (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to 3,335 metres (10,942 feet) above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier Valley and the Vinschgau.
The city has been a popular place of residence for several scientists, literary people, and artists, including Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound, Paul Lazarsfeld, and also Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who appreciated its mild climate.
Name
Both the Italian (Merano) and the German (Meran) names for the city are used in English. The Ladin form of the name is Maran. The official name of the municipality (comune) is Comune di Merano in Italian and Stadtgemeinde Meran in German (both are in official use).
History
Archaic names of the city are Mairania (from 857 AD) and an der Meran (from the 15th century).
Origin
The area has been inhabited since the third millennium BC, as shown by the presence of menhirs and other findings. The story of the city proper began in 15 BC when the Romans occupied the Adige valley founding a road station, Statio Maiensis.
The settlement was first mentioned in an 857 deed as Mairania. The Counts at
Modern history
The
During the
Coat of arms
The city's
Main sights
Among the city's landmarks are the medieval city gates such as the Vinschgauer Tor, Passeirer Tor, and the Bozener Tor. Also belonging to the fortifications is the medieval Ortenstein tower, popularly called Pulverturm (lit. "powder tower").
The main churches are the Gothic St. Nicholas' Church and the St. Barbara's Chapel, both dating to the 15th century. Also dating to this period is the Princely Castle (Landesfürstliche Burg), which was a residence of Archduke Sigismund of Austria.
The
The city saw further development as it became increasingly popular as a spa resort, especially after
After the annexation of the city by Italy in 1919, the
Outside the city is
Climate
Merano is on the borderline between several climates. Officially, it has an oceanic climate (Cfb). However, it is close to being humid subtropical (Cfa) due to the mean temperature in July being just under 22 °C; even on those terms, the overnight lows in the winter bring the mean temperatures low enough for the city as a whole to have continental (Dfa/Dfb) influences with more distinct seasons.
The average daily temperatures in summer in Merano lie between 27 and 30 °C, while at night temperatures usually drop to between 12 and 15 °C. The average daily temperatures in winter lie between 6 and 10 °C, while at night temperatures usually drop to between -4 and -2 °C. The wettest month is August with 96 mm, while the driest is February with only 25 mm. This data was measured at the weather station Merano/Gratsch at an altitude of 333 metres between 1983 and 2017.
Climate data for Merano (1983–2017) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 21 (70) |
23 (73) |
27 (81) |
31 (88) |
37 (99) |
39 (102) |
40 (104) |
40 (104) |
35 (95) |
29 (84) |
21 (70) |
19 (66) |
40 (104) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.4 (43.5) |
9.6 (49.3) |
15.1 (59.2) |
18.8 (65.8) |
23.5 (74.3) |
27.2 (81.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
28.6 (83.5) |
23.7 (74.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
10.9 (51.6) |
6.5 (43.7) |
18.2 (64.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) |
3.8 (38.8) |
8.4 (47.1) |
12.0 (53.6) |
16.4 (61.5) |
19.8 (67.6) |
21.9 (71.4) |
21.3 (70.3) |
17.1 (62.8) |
12.1 (53.8) |
5.7 (42.3) |
1.7 (35.1) |
11.8 (53.2) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.0 (24.8) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
1.6 (34.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
9.3 (48.7) |
12.4 (54.3) |
14.2 (57.6) |
13.9 (57.0) |
10.2 (50.4) |
6.1 (43.0) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
5.3 (41.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | −19 (−2) |
−13 (9) |
−12 (10) |
−4 (25) |
−2 (28) |
2 (36) |
2 (36) |
1 (34) |
−2 (28) |
−8 (18) |
−10 (14) |
−13 (9) |
−19 (−2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26.4 (1.04) |
24.5 (0.96) |
36.9 (1.45) |
61.7 (2.43) |
80.0 (3.15) |
94.7 (3.73) |
83.8 (3.30) |
96.3 (3.79) |
72.3 (2.85) |
74.9 (2.95) |
84.5 (3.33) |
37.9 (1.49) |
773.8 (30.46) |
Source: Landeswetterdienst Südtirol[13][14] |
Culture
Food
The area is well known for its wines, both white and red, and vineyards extend right into the city. The local wine, Meraner Leiten (Meranese di collina), is a light
Cultural events
Merano organizes the following events every year.
- Asfaltart
- Festival MeranOJazz
- Meraner Musikwochen
- Christmas market Merano
- Merano WineFestival
People
Early times
- Arbeo of Freising (died 784), early medieval author and bishop
- Johann Baptista Ruffini (1672–1749), salt trader
19th century
- Pius Zingerle (1801–1881), an Austrian Orientalist
- Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen (1815–1881 in Meran), a Bavarian general[16]
- Oskar Freiherr von Redwitz (1823–1891), a German poet, lived in Merano from 1872[17]
- Ignaz Vincenz Zingerle (1825–1892), poet and scholar[18]
- Peretz Smolenskin (1842–1885 in Meran), a Russian-born Zionist and Hebrew writer[19]
- Hermann von Tappeiner (1847–1927), physician and pharmacologist, used photodynamic therapy
- Sir Rudolf Carl von Slatin (1857–1932), soldier and Inspector General of Sudan[20]
- Ferdinand Behrens (1862-1925), painter and city portraitist[21]
- Leo Putz (1869–1940), Tyrolean painter
- Prince Emmanuel, Duke of Vendome (1872–1931), a French royal from the House of Orléans
- Prince Francis Joseph of Braganza (1879–1919), officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army and victim of sex scandals and swindles
- Richard Steidle (1881–1940 in Buchenwald), lawyer, leader of the paramilitary Heimwehr in Tyrol
- Erna Ellmenreich (1885–1976), operatic soprano, a member of the Staatstheater Stuttgart
- Oswald Menghin (1888–1973), university professor, prehistorians, minister of education
- Heinz von Perckhammer (1895–1965), photographer, known for his Chinese nudes
- Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962), American writer and illustrator of children's books
20th century
- Hans Andersag (1902–1955), scientist, discovered Chloroquine, a malaria drug
- Theresienstadt concentration camp
- Silvius Magnago (1914–2010), politician, South Tyrolean governor, father of the autonomy of South Tyrol
- Annelies Reinhold (1917–2007), film actress[22]
- Bargil Pixner (1921–2002), a Benedictine monk, Biblical scholar and archaeologist
- Norbert Untersteiner (1926–2012), pioneer of modern polar science research
- Alberto Lizzio (1926–1999), fictitious conductor of inexpensive, mass market, classical recordings[23]
- Irène Galter (1931–2018), actress[24]
- Maria Bertolini (1931–2022), politician
- Arnaldo Di Benedetto (born 1940), literary critic and professor[25]
- Franco D'Andrea (born 1941), jazz pianist
- Lino Capolicchio (1943–2022), actor, screenwriter and film director[26]
- Cuno Tarfusser (born 1954), judge at the International Criminal Court[27]
- Gloria Guida (born 1955), Italian-speaking actress[28]
- Rudolf Stingel (born 1956), artist
- Ferdinand Gamper (1957–1996), serial killer
- Luca Dipierro (born 1973), animator and writer
Sport
- Norberto Oberburger (born 1960), retired heavyweight weightlifter, gold medallist at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Edith Gufler (born 1962), former sport shooter, silver medallist at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Günther Steiner (born 1965), motorsports engineer and former team principal of Haas F1 Team
- Armin Zöggeler (born 1974), luge champion with six Olympic medals and nine world championship golds
- Dominik Paris (born 1989), alpine skier, gold and silver medallist in World Championships
- Daniel Frank (born 1994), ice hockey player
- Daniel Grassl (born 2002), figure skater at the 2022 Winter Olympics, silver medalist at the 2022 European Figure Skating Championships
Economy
Merano is a popular tourist destination especially for Germans and Italians. In the summer, there are concerts on the promenade almost daily, and there are fine walks around the city and in the surrounding hills, not least "Meran/o 2000", where there is also skiing in winter. The city is reachable with the railway Bolzano-Merano, which continues to the Vinschgau Railway Merano-Malles.
Society
According to the 2011 census, 50.47% of the resident population spoke German as mother language, 49.06% Italian, and 0.47% Ladin.[29]
Sport
A chess opening, the Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav Defense, is named after the city, from its successful use by Akiba Rubinstein against Ernst Grünfeld during a tournament held in the city in 1924.[30] In 1981, the World Chess Championship match between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi was held in Merano. The first act of the musical Chess also has a world chess championship match set in Merano, and features a song entitled "Merano", which includes the line, "rosy-cheeked Merano, flourishing to a fault".
The city's
Each September, the Gran Premio Merano takes place in the Maia Racecourse; this is the most famous Italian Steeplechase.
Merano hosted the
Twin towns and sister cities
The
- Salzburg, Austria
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Merano". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "Merano". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Egon Kühebacher, Die Ortsnamen Südtirols, Vol. 1 (2000), lemma Meran
- Johann Jacob Hofmann, Lexicon Universale (1698), lemma 'Tirolis'
- ^ https://www.muenze-hall.at/en/COINING/MUeNZ-AUFTRAGSPRAeGUNG
- ISBN 978-3-0343-2240-9
- ^ Ralf Hartemink (1996). "Meran – Merano". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ Gryffindor (2011). "Image of the coat of arms during the Italian fascist period". Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ Prünster, Hans (1972). Die Wappen der Gemeinden Südtirols [The coat of arms of the municipalities of South Tyrol]. Etschlandbücher (in German). Vol. 7. Bozen: Landesverband für Heimatpflege in Südtirol.
- ^ Gall, Franz (1960). Österreichischer Wappenkalender (in German).
- ^ "23200MS-TS-MeranoQuarazze-MeranGratsch.xls". Monatswerte Temperaturen. Landeswetterdienst Südtirol. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- ^ "23200MS-PS-MeranoQuarazze-MeranGratsch.xls". Monatswerte Niederschläge. Landeswetterdienst Südtirol. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- ^ Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2006
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 400. .
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 972. .
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 985. .
- ^ Abrahams, Israel (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). p. 278.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica (12th ed.). 1922. .
- ^ German Wiki, Ferdinand Behrens
- ^ IMDb Database retrieved 22 June 2019
- ^ IMDb Database retrieved 22 June 2019
- ^ IMDb Database retrieved 22 June 2019
- ^ Italian Wiki, Arnaldo Di Benedetto
- ^ IMDb Database retrieved 22 June 2019
- ^ Biography of Judge Cuno Jakob TARFUSSERArchived June 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ IMDb Database retrieved 22 June 2019
- ^ "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.
- ^ "An Opening Created in 1924 Still Leads to Complex Battles", New York Times, 29 January 2006
Further reading
- Norddeutscher Lloyd (1896), "Meran", Guide through Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Holland and England, Berlin: J. Reichmann & Cantor, OL 24839718M
- Coolidge, William Augustus Brevoort (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 148.
- Sabine Mayr (2017), "The Annihilation of the Jewish Community of Meran", in Georg Grote, Hannes Obermair (ed.), A Land on the Threshold. South Tyrolean Transformations, 1915–2015, Oxford, Bern, New York: ISBN 978-3-0343-2240-9
- Patrick Rina, Veronika Rieder (eds) (2020). Kafka in Meran. Kunst und Politik um 1920. Bozen-Bolzano: Edition Raetia, ISBN 978-88-7283-743-6.
External links
- Merano travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Official website
- Meran.eu, Homepage of the Tourism Authority