Art & Culture

Val Gardena - A crossroads of cultures

Val Gardena used to be part of a territory called "Ladinia", and the traces of its two thousand years old history are still visible. "Ladin" is a Rhaeto-roman language that is still spoken in the five Ladinian valleys of the Dolomites. Ladin originated from a mix of Latin, spoken by the Roman conquerors, and Celtic (Rhaetian), the language of the territory's first inhabitants. This particular historical circumstance makes of Val Gardena the emblematic meeting point of many European cultures.

The preservation of traditions and cultural patrimony and especially of the Ladin language are a bulwark of this people. "Bën unì" = "Welcome": by listening to this arcane language or watching a day of celebration with the Gardenesi dressed in their traditional costumes, it is possible, as if by magic, to rediscover all the shine and glamour of the past.
Val Gardena is quickly becoming an important centre thanks to the many cultural projects that take place here. For example, in the last few years, it has hosted the valgardenaMUSIKA Festival (in July and August), a series of classical music concerts by some of the most prestigious world orchestras. Thus, Val Gardena is becoming one of the major points of reference on the international music scene.