Merano

Merano or Meran (see Names below) is a town and comune in South Tyrol, Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to 3,335 m (11,000 ft), at the entrance to the Passeier Valley, the Vinschgau and the Ulten Valley. In the past the town has been a popular place of residence for several scientists, literates and artists, including Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound and Paul Lazarsfeld, who appreciated its mild climate.

Place-name
Meran is the German name for the town; Merano is the Italian name. Both are used in English. The Ladin form of the name is Maran. The official name of the municipality (comune) is Stadtgemeinde Meran in German and Comune di Merano in Italian (both are in official use).

In seventeenth-century Latin, the town was called Meranum. Other archaic names are Mairania (from 857 AD) and an der Meran (from the 15th century).

Origin
The area has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC, as shown by the presence of menhirs and other findings. The story of the city proper began in 15 BC when the Romans occupied the Adige valley founding a road station, Statio Maiensis.

The settlement was first mentioned in a 857 deed as Mairania. The Counts at Castle Tyrol elevated Meran to the status of a city during the 13th century and made it the capital of their County of Tyrol. After the county had been handed over to the Habsburg dynasty in 1363 upon the abdication of Countess Margarete Maultasch, in 1420 Duke Frederick IV of Habsburg moved the Tyrolean court to Innsbruck. Though Meran remained the official capital until 1848, it subsequently lost its predominant position and almost all its importance as an economic hub across the roads connecting Italy and Germany. The important mint was also moved to Hall in 1477.

The Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 against the French occupation drew attention again to Meran. In that year, on the Küchelberg above the city, a peasants' army eked out a victory against the united French and Bavarian forces, before their revolt was finally crushed. After World War I, Meran according to the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye became part of the Kingdom of Italy with the rest of the southern part of the former Cisleithanian crown land of Tyrol.

On 12 April 2010, a train bound for Merano was hit by a mudslide 30 km from the city between the villages of Latsch and Kastelbell. The resulting train derailment killed 9 people and injured 28, 7 of those seriously.

Main sights
Among the town's landmarks are the Museum of Tourism, which was opened in the spring of 2003 and shows the historical development of tourism in the province, and the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, a botanical garden. Both sites are located in the Trauttmansdorff Castle.

Also notable are the Steinerner Steg ("stone bridge") across the Passer and the medieval Ortenstein tower, popularly called Pulverturm (lit. "powder tower").

Food
The area is well known for its wines, both white and red, and vineyards extend right into the town. The local wine, Meraner Leiten (Meranese di collina), is a light red, best drunk young. There are also extensive orchards, and apples are exported throughout Europe. The Forst brewery on the edge of the town produces a popular range of beers, sold throughout northern Italy.



Notable people associated with Merano

 * Johann Baptista Ruffini, salt trader
 * Oswald Menghin, professor
 * Silvius Magnago, politician
 * Rudolf Stingel, artist
 * Irène Galter, actress
 * Cuno Tarfusser, judge at the International Criminal Court
 * Armin Zoeggeler, luge champion with five Olympic medals and nine world championship golds

Tourism
Meran is a popular tourist destination especially for Germans and Italians. In summer there are concerts on the promenade almost daily, and there are fine walks around the town and in the surrounding hills, not least "Meran 2000", where there is also skiing in winter.

Languages
According to the 2001 census, 51.50% of the resident population speaks German as mother language, 48.01% Italian, and 0.49% Ladin.

Twin towns and sister cities
Merano is twinned with:


 * Girona in Spain
 * Salzburg in Austria

Sport
A chess opening, the Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav Defense, is named after the town, from its successful use by Akiba Rubinstein against Ernst Grünfeld during a tournament held in the town in 1924. In 1981, the World Chess Championship match between Anatoly Karpov and Victor Korchnoi was held in Meran. The first act of the musical Chess also has a world chess championship match set in Meran, and features a song entitled "Merano", which includes the line, "rosy-cheeked Merano, flourishing to a fault".

The city's handball team is one of the most important of Italy, winner of the scudetto in 2005. The ice hockey team won two national championships, but it is currently playing in the Second Division (A2 series).

Each September, the Gran Premio Merano takes place in the Maia Racecourse; this is the most famous Italian Steeplechase.