Brixen

This article is about Brixen, Italy. For the Austrian town of a similar name, see Brixen im Thale.

Brixen
—  Comune  —
Gemeinde Brixen Comune di Bressanone
Coat of arms
Brixen Location of Brixen in Italy
Coordinates: 46°43′N 11°39′E
Country	Italy
Region	Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Province	South Tyrol (BZ)
Frazioni	see list
Government
• Mayor	Albert Pürgstaller (SVP)
Area
• Total	84.86 km2 (32.76 sq mi)
Elevation	560 m (1,840 ft)
Population (Nov. 2010)
• Total	20,286
• Density	240/km2 (620/sq mi)
Demonym	German: Brixner Italian: brissinesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	39042
Dialing code	0472
Patron saint	Saint Albuin Saint Ingenuin
Saint day	February 2
Website	Official website

Cathedral of Brixen.

Brixen (Italian: Bressanone; Ladin: Porsenù or Persenon) is a town in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.

Geography

The third largest city and oldest town in the province (first mentioned in 901), the artistic and cultural capital of the valley. It is located at the confluence of the Eisack/Isarco and Rienz/Rienza rivers, 40 km north of Bolzano and 45 km south of the Brenner Pass, on the Italy-Austrian border. It is flanked on the eastern side by the Plose and Telegraph (Monte Telegrafo) mountains (2,504 m) and on the western side by the Königsanger (Monte Pascolo) (2,436 m) mountain.

Brixen is especially known as a major skiing resort (the Plose). Other activities include hydroelectric power, orchards and vineyards.

Frazioni

Frazioni / incorporated villages: Afers (Eores), Albeins (Albes), Elvas, Gereuth, Karnol, Klerant (Cleran), Kranebitt (Costa d'Elvas), Mahr (La Mara), Mairdorf, Mellaun (Meluno), Pairdorf (Perara), Pinzagen (Pinzago), Plabach, Rutzenberg, St. Andrä (S.Andrea), St. Leonhard (S.Leonardo), Sarns (Sarnes), Tils (Tiles), Tötschling (Tecelinga), Tschötsch (Scezze), Untereben.

History

Main article: Bishopric of Brixen

Origin

The area of Brixen was settled since the Upper Paleolithic (8th millennium BC). Other settlements from the late Stone Age have been found, until, in 15 BC, the area was conquered by the Romans, who had their main settlement in the nearby Säben (Sabiona). They held it until around 590s, when it was occupied by Bavarians.

The first mention of Brixen dates to 901 in a document issued by the King of Germany Louis III the Child: in it, a territory called Prihsna is assigned to Zacharias, bishop of Säben. As time passed, "Prihsna" turned into the current name of Brixen. The bishops moved here from Säben in 992, after the Cathedral had been finished.

In 1039 the Bishop of Brixen, Poppo, was elevated to Pope by emperor Henry III. However, his reign lasted only for 23 days. Yet in the same century, Brixen became the seat of an independent ecclesiastical principate which, in the following years, struggled for existence against the neighbouring county of Tyrol. In 1115 a first line of walls encircling Brixen was completed.

The bishopric was secularized in 1803 and annexed by the Austrian Empire. After the end of World War I Brixen was annexed by Italy.

Coat-of-arms

The oldest coat of arms dates back to 1297 with the lamb, known then from 1304 as a symbol of the lamb. On 13 November 1928 was adopted a shield with the city walls and a gate on the lawn, on the upper half, and the lamb in the lower. The emblem is a turned argent lamb with a or halo on a gules background; the left foot supports a flag with a gules cross. The emblem was granted in 1966.

Main sights

• The Cathedral (10th century), was rebuilt in the 13th century and again in 1745-1754 along Baroque lines. The ceiling of the nave has a large fresco by Paul Troger portraying the Adoration of the Lamb.
• The Hofburg, a Renaissance Bishop's Palace (13th century), one of the main noble residences in South Tyrol. The Diocesan Museum has several artworks, including a presepe with 5,000 figures created for Bishop Karl Franz Lodron.
• The round Parish church of Saint Michael (11th century). The Gothic choir and the bell tower are from the 15th century, while the nave is from the 16th. The main artwork is a wooden Cireneus from the 15th century.
• The "Pharmacy Museum" Pharmaziemuseum Brixen, located in a nearly 500 year old townhouse, shows the development and changes of the "City - Pharmacy". Since 1787 the family Peer runs (now in the 7th generation) this Pharmacy, always in the same location. In the museum you can view in carefully restored rooms the development of the pharmaceutical profession over the centuries and the changes in remedies used, starting from the testicles of a beaver or the pieces of an ancient Egyptian mummy and coming to modern plasters and lyophilisates. All the objects and medicines on display were in use in the run of the centuries. The Museum offers also a library for historical research and the archive of the Peer family. In a separate room the history of the family itself is shown by a multimedia application.

Outside the city is the Rodeneck Castle, one of the most powerful of its time. It has precious frescoes from the early 13th century. Also important are Reifenstein Castle and the Trostburg Castle in Waidbruck. In the later lived the adventurer and minstrel Oswald von Wolkenstein.

Society

Linguistic distribution

The majority of the population speaks German as first language (73.13%). The remainder of the inhabitants speak Italian and Ladin as first languages, with percentages of 25.65% and 1.23%, respectively.

Culture

Notable people associated with Brixen

• Reinhold Messner, mountaineer (b. 1944 in Brixen)
• Denise Karbon, alpine ski racer (b. 1980 in Brixen)

Transportation

Brixen has a railway station on the Brenner railway, which connects Verona, Italy to Innsbruck in Austrian Tyrol. In the future, this role of this railway line will be partially taken over by the Brenner Base Tunnel, which bypasses Brixen.

The town has two exits on the Brenner Highway to the Brenner Pass.

Administration

Twin cities

• Regensburg, Germany, since 1969
• Havlíčkův Brod, Czech Republic, since 1992
• Bled, Slovenia, since 2004

Sports

• Brixen hosted the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics.
• Brixen will host the 16th Unicycle World Convention and Championships (UNICON) in July 2012.

External links

• (German) (Italian) Homepage of the municipality
• Photos from Brixen
• WebCam picture from Bressanone - Brixen