Resia Reśija (Slovene) | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Resia | |
  Resia Location of Resia in Italy Show map of Italy Resia Resia (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) Show map of Friuli-Venezia Giulia | |
| Coordinates:46°23′N13°18′E / 46.383°N 13.300°E /46.383; 13.300 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Friuli-Venezia Giulia |
| Province | Udine (UD) |
| Frazioni | Prato, San Giorgio, Gniva, Oseacco and Stolvizza |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sergio Chinese (Civic Party) |
| Area | |
• Total | 119.0 km2 (45.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 492 m (1,614 ft) |
| Population (Jan. 2015)[2] | |
• Total | 1,048 |
| • Density | 8.807/km2 (22.81/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Resiani |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 33010 |
| Dialing code | 0433 |
| Patron saint | Assumption of Mary |
| Saint day | August 15 |
| Website | Comune di Resia |
Resia (Resian:Reśija;Slovene:Rezija;Friulian:Resie) is acomune (municipality) in theRegional decentralization entity of Udine, in theFriuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastItaly, bordering on the municipalities ofChiusaforte,Lusevera,Resiutta, andVenzone, and also on two of theSlovenian municipalities (Kobarid andBovec). Its residents speak an archaic dialect known asResian, which is – according to most linguists – a transitional dialect between theCarinthian andLittoral dialects ofSlovene. Although they maintain their own traditional system of family names, which are ofSlavic origin, the people of Resia have either Italian or Italianized surnames, similarly to some areas inVenetian Slovenia.
It is located in the alpine valley of the same name in theJulian Alps, about 90 kilometres (56 mi) northwest ofTrieste and about 35 kilometres (22 mi) north ofUdine, on the border withSlovenia and around 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the border withAustria. As of 1 January 2015, it had a population of 1,048 and an area of 119.0 square kilometres (45.9 sq mi).[3]
The municipality comprises the Resia Valley, a typical Alpineglacial valley, surrounded by high mountains of theJulian Alps, with a narrow opening towards the west. The valley is located on the western edge of a highmountain range of the Julian Alps. To the east, it is closed by theKanin mountain group also of the Julian Alps, which separates it from theSoča valley in theSlovenian Littoral. To the west, the valley opens towards the Fella valley, which leads to the upperFriulian plain. This is the most usual way to access this isolated valley.
To the south-east of the Resia Valley, there is a narrow mountain pass, called Carnizza (Slovene:Karnica), leading from Resia Valley to the upperTorre Valley (Slovene:Terska dolina). The same mountain pass also leads to the Učja Canyon (Uccea), which ends in theSoča valley near the Slovenian village ofŽaga. For centuries, this narrow pass was the only way connecting the Resia Valley withVenetian Slovenia and theSlovene Lands.
The inhabitants of Resia speak a unique dialect, known as theResian. According to the dialectologistTine Logar, Resian is a transitory dialect between theCarinthian andLittoral dialects of Slovene. Resian maintains several archaic features that have been lost in most otherSlovene dialects. Due to its isolation, the dialect has also developed a specific phonetic system, unlike any other in theSouth Slavic language group.[4] In 1994, the linguistHan Steenwijk published theorthography of the Resian, in 1999 the first part of its reference grammar, and in 2005 a small orthographic dictionary.[5]
The people of Resia have conflicting opinions on whether they consider themselvesSlovenes[6] although they maintain close cultural, economic and family connections with the people of the historical region known asSlavia Friulana, where Slovene linguistic and cultural identity is much more rooted. The Resians call their dialectrozajanski, while they frequently refer to the dialect ofBovec, which is the first large Slovene settlement on the other side of theKanin mountain range, astabuški, meaning 'the one fromBovec'.
Since 2007, the Resia has been included in those municipalities where the Law on the Protection of the Slovene Linguistic Community is to be applied.[7] Many bilingual signs have been erected in the valley since the early 2000s.
The Resian people are known for their rich folkloric traditions, especially their music and dances. ManySlovenianfolk andfolk rock groups, such asKatalena andTerrafolk, have drawn their inspiration from the Resian folk tradition. Resian folklore is also renowned for itsfables, which have been extensively collected, translated into standard Slovene and published in various Slovenian publications since the late 19th century. With more than 400 different folk stories told, Resian Slovenian peddler and a folk storytellerValentina Pielich - Tina Vajtova (also Tina Vajtawa) is considered one of the best folk storytellers of Resian fairy tales.
Since the 1990s, several cultural institutions have been set up to promote the historical and cultural heritage of the valley. The most important is the Cultural Association 'Resian Home' (Te kultürski čirkolo "Rozajanski Dum", Italian:Circolo culturale resiano "Rozajanski dum", standard Slovene:Kulturno društvo "Rezijanski dom"), founded in 1983 to foster and protect the local culture.[8] In the 1990s, the 'Resian Cultural Centre' (Ta Rozajanska Kultürska Hïša, Italian:Centro Culturale Resiano, standard Slovene:Rezijanski kulturni dom) was established as the central cultural venue in the valley. Both associations are fully included in the network of cultural associations of theSlovene minority in Italy.[9]
The political and public sphere in the valley is highly divided between those who understand the Resian identity in the frame of theSlovene minority in Italy, and those who oppose this identification and refuse to be considered part of theSlovene people.[10] While the majority of the Resian cultural associations are integrated in the network of the Slovene minority in Italy,[8][9] there are also political movements rejecting the identification of Resians with Slovenes.[11]
The majority of the population does not consider itself Slovene.[needs update?][12] In 2004, 1,014 out of 1,285 (78.9%) inhabitants of Resia signed a petition declaring that they are not Slovenes.[12]
In January 2009 the mayor of the Resia municipality, Sergio Barbarino, who is not a Resian, filed an official demand that Resia be included among the municipalities in which the Italian–Slovene bilingualism is applied.[13] The subsequent mayor Sergio Chinese – himself a native of Resia – declared that "Resia and the Resians have nothing in common with the Slovenes" and that the Resian language "has nothing to do with Slovene".[13] He requested that Resia be removed from the list of municipalities where Italian–Slovene bilingualism is applied.[13]
In February 2010, the new municipal administration of Resia replaced the bilingual Italian–Resian road signs with new ones, in which the Resian place names were written in theItalian orthography instead of the scholarly accepted New Resian orthography.[14] The Slovenian Foreign Ministry denounced the incident and brought it to the attention of theinternational community as an evidence of the institutional subversion ofminority rights in Italy.[14]
In March 2010, the Italian Ministry of Interior confirmed that Resia is to be considered part of the bilingual Italian-Slovene territory and that linguistic rights guaranteed by the Italian Act for the Protection of the Slovene Minority are to be fully applied in Resia.[15] In August 2010, the municipal assembly of Resia asked for the removal of Resia from the list of municipalities, in which the Law for the Protection of the Slovene Linguistic Community is enforced.[13] However, such removal is not possible according to the law.
Resia istwinned with:
Fryazino, Russia| National | |
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