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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 and Rienz 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

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

Frazioni

Frazioni / incorporated villages:

1. Afers (Eores),
2. Albeins (Albes),
3. Elvas,
4. Gereuth,
5. Karnol,
6. Klerant (Cleran),
7. Kranebitt (Costa d'Elvas),
8. Mahr (La Mara),
9. Mairdorf,
10. Mellaun (Meluno),
11. Pairdorf (Perara),
12. 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 has been settled since the Upper Paleolithic (8th millennium BC). Other settlements from the late Stone Age have been found and 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 590, 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 for only 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 a shield with the city walls and a gate on the lawn in the upper half and the lamb in the lower was adopted. The emblem is a turned argent lamb with an or halo on a gules background; the right foreleg 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". The Peer family (now the 7th generation) has run this pharmacy since 1787, always in the same location. The museum's carefully restored rooms illustrate the development of the pharmaceutical profession over the centuries and the changes in remedies used, from the testicles of a beaver and pieces of an ancient Egyptian mummy to modern plasters and lyophilisates. All the objects and medicines on display were in use over the centuries. The Museum also has a library for historical research and the archive of the Peer family. In a separate room there is a multimedia display of the history of the family.

Outside the city is 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 Trostburg Castle in Waidbruck. In the latter lived the adventurer and minstrel Oswald von Wolkenstein.

Society

Linguistic distribution

According to the 2011 census, the majority of the population speaks German as first language (72.82%). The remainder of the inhabitants speak Italian and Ladin as first languages, with percentages of 25.84% and 1.34%, respectively.

Culture

Notable people associated with Brixen

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

Transport

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 hosted the 16th Unicycle World Convention and Championships (UNICON) in July 2012.

External links

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

Category:Municipalities of South Tyrol