Mals (; ) is a ''
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' (municipality) and a village in
South Tyrol
South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
in northern
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, located about northwest of
Bolzano
Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The ...
, on the border with
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
and
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
.
History
Coat-of-arms
The emblem is
party per fess: the upper of
gules
In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple).
Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...
a
fess argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
, at the bottom
or three gules circles arranged in a triangle upside-down. It is the combination of coats of arms of the
House of Austria and
Medici
The House of Medici ( , ; ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first half of the 15th ...
. The emblem was adopted in 1928.
Geography
As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 5,092 and an area of .
[All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.] The
Zerzer Tal, a
side valley of the
Vinschgau, is in Mals.
Mals borders the following municipalities:
Graun im Vinschgau
Graun im Vinschgau (; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and a village in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of Bolzano, on the border with Austria and Switzerland.
Geography
At 1 January 2011, it had a registered populati ...
,
Glurns
Glurns (; ; ) is an urban ''comune'' (''Stadt'') in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of Bolzano. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").
Geography
As of 30 November 2010, it ha ...
,
Laas,
Scuol
Scuol () is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Grisons. The official language in Scuol is Romansh language, Romansh. On 1 January 2 ...
(Switzerland),
Schnals,
Sent (Switzerland),
Schlanders,
Schluderns,
Sölden
Sölden () is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.
Geography
At c. , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 (as of 2003) is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated. Wit ...
(Austria), and
Taufers im Münstertal.
Frazioni
The municipality of Mals contains the ''
frazioni
A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...
'' (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets): Burgeis (Burgusio), Laatsch (Laudes), Matsch (Mazia), Planeil (Planol), Plawenn (Piavenna), Schleis (Clusio), (Slingia), Tartsch (Tarces), and Ulten-Alsack (Alsago-Ultimo).
Climate and Temperature
Mals has a cool, wet climate. Frost is common from October to May and is even recorded in the summer, although temperatures below −1C are rare from June to September. Most winter days fail to rise above freezing. Summer is generally mild, but most summers see temperatures rise above 20C on several days.
Transportation
The commune is the northern terminus of the train from
Meran
Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (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 above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier Va ...
. The trip from Merano takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Trains depart hourly. There is also local bus service between Mals and Schlanders.
Notable people
*
Johann Rufinatscha (1812–1893), an Austrian composer, theorist and music teacher
*
Walter Caldonazzi (1916–1945), an important resistance fighter against Nazi Germany
Caldonazzi, Walter
/ref>
* Karl Plattner (1919–1986), painter.
* Gabriel Grüner (1963–1999), journalist for Stern magazine, shot by Yugoslav soldiers
Society
Linguistic distribution
According to the 2024 census, 97.23% of the population speak German, 2.70% Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
and 0.06% Ladin as first language.
Demographic evolution
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Gallery
File:Mals, die Sankt Benedikt Kirche Dm15779 foto1 2012-08-13 10.44.jpg, St. Benedict's Church in Mals
File:ChiesaTarces2.JPG, ''St. Veit am Bichl'' in Tartsch
File:Mals, toren foto8 2012-08-13 10.26.jpg, Tower of the old St. John's Church
File:Mals, der Fröhlichsturm Dm15773 foto5 2012-08-13 10.32.jpg, The tower ''Fröhlichsturm'' in Mals
References
External links
Municipality of Mals Homepage
(in German and Italian)
(English)
{{Authority control
Municipalities of South Tyrol