Ladin is not just a “dialect” but is a real language, present and currently spoken in the area of Ladinia, the territory that extends to the north-east of Italy, bordering with Austria, in the valleys of Badia, Gardena, Fassa and Livinallongo and in Cortina d’Ampezzo, between the provinces of Bolzano and Belluno.
Discover it with us!
Hotel Sassongher #traditioninthedolomites
The Ladin Language
In Corvara, within Val Badia where our Hotel Sassongher is located, 90% of the people are native Ladin speakers, a characteristic found all throughout the territory of Ladinia. This language can be learnt in school as well as naturally in the family and community. In our valleys, we have TV and radio channels in the Ladin language that people regularly listen to, as well as print media.
Those who visit the valley for tourism are often quite surprised, stopping to listen to the sounds and phonemes, trying to grasp their meaning and origins. There are those who detect German or Italian origins and those who hear dialectal influences. What is sure is that it is a language with an ancient history, officially recognised in the second half of the 19th century. The Ladin language is an archaic tongue of Rhaeto-Romanic origin. It has absorbed Celtic traits, strands of popular Latin dating back to the Roman imperial era, touches of the Bavarian dialect of the Middle Ages and some modern German.
In short, it is a decidedly rich language!
The History of the Ladin Language
It seems that the Ladin we speak today developed around the 5th century, when certain populations from the Roman province of Norico – who also spoke some Latin – took refuge in our valleys to escape the invasions of the Rugians, Avars and Slavs. These populations joined ethnic groups of Celtic origin, such as the Breoni. This was perhaps how the Ladin language of the Dolomites was born. A sweet-sounding language, it is pleasing to everyone who hears it. There are some similarities with western Romansh languages such as the Swiss Engadin. Today, Ladino Dolomitico is spoken by over 30,000 people across 59 municipalities within the Dolomite valleys of Val Badia, Val di Fassa and Livinallongo as well as in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
In Ladinia, besides Ladin as the third official language of South Tyrol, German and Italian are also spoken fluently. Monolingualism has practically disappeared, with all Ladins being multilingual. It is a richness that is found in the personality of the Ladins themselves, being open and hospitable, knowing how to welcome their guests by transmitting that ancient wisdom that is the fruit of their traditions.
Ladin as part of Unesco World Heritage
In 2014, the project for the Ladin Language to gain “UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage” status was officially launched. This prestigious recognition followed on from that which had already been achieved for the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This would increase knowledge of our identity, alive and strongly felt by the population but also by those who visit us. What is certain is that our Guests immediately feel that our valley offers a true alpine lifestyle, the result of a tradition that for centuries has been able to exist harmoniously in the Dolomites without great external influences, without altering its values and culture.
It is a consolidated identity of which we are deeply proud!
Want to learn more about the Ladin culture and language?
Here are some authoritative sources through which you can discover the charm of our culture:
- Istituto Ladìn Micurà de Ru
- Dizionario Italiano Ladino
- Museum Ladin, di S. Martino in Badia (BZ) e Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus di S.Cassiano (BZ).
Above all, come and visit us! We will gladly shared anecdotes and stories of our land in person.
You can also enjoy the most beautiful traditional events !
Hotel Sassongher #traditioninthedolomites
