Martell, South Tyrol

Martell (German pronunciation: [marˈtɛl]; Italian: Martello [marˈtɛllo]) is a valley and comune (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It is located in the Martell Valley of the 28.5-kilometre (17.7 mi) long river Plima, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of Bolzano. The commune reaches from an elevation of 957 metres (3,140 ft) up to the 3,757 metres (12,326 ft) of the Zufallspitze (Italian: Monte Cevedale) which towers over the southeastern end of the valley. It is the only comune in Italy without any native speakers of Italian.

Martell
Comune
Gemeinde Martell Comune di Martello
View towards the village
Location of Martell
Martell Location of Martell in Italy Show map of Italy Martell Martell (Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol) Show map of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Coordinates: 46°33′N 10°47′E
Country	Italy
Region	Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Province	South Tyrol (BZ)
Frazioni	Ennetal (Val d'Enne), Ennewasser (Transacqua), Gand (Ganda), Meiern, Sonnenberg (Montesole)
Government
• Mayor	Georg Altstätter
Area [1]
• Total	143.7 km2 (55.5 sq mi)
Elevation	1,312 m (4,304 ft)
Population  (Nov. 2010)[2]
• Total	884
• Density	6.2/km2 (16/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	German: Marteller Italian: martellesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	39020
Dialing code	0473
Website	Official website

Geography

As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 884 and an area of 143.7 square kilometres (55.5 sq mi).^[3]

Martell borders mainly to the municipality of Latsch at the bottom of the valley. Other neighbors based in the Vinschgau of the Adige are Stilfs, Laas and Schlanders. Ulten is in the neighboring valley to the East, while Peio, Rabbi and Valfurva are to the south.

Frazioni

Apart from the main village of Gand (Ganda), the municipality of Martell contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) of Ennetal (Val d'Enne), Ennewasser (Transacqua), Gand (Ganda), Meiern, and Sonnenberg (Montesole), as well as several farms and hotels.

History

Coat-of-arms

The emblem shows two-headed sable eagle, with an or halo, placed on argent mountain and azure background. The two colors means that the municipality reaches a high altitude, up to the glaciers. According to legend, the right to adorn the city arms with the imperial eagle was recognized for the courage showed, from the residents, in the Battle of Schanzen nearby Colorano. The emblem was adopted in 1969.^[4]

Society

Linguistic distribution

According to the 2024 census, 99.12% of the population speak German and 0.88% Italian as first language.^[5]

Demographic evolution