Stelvio

Province: South Tyrol · Region: Trentino-South Tyrol · Population: 1,190 · Postal code: 39029

In the comune of Stelvio stands the Ortles, the highest mountain of Trentino-Alto Adige, and at its foot the Stelvio pass, the second-highest road pass in Europe. The road that climbs it was built between 1820 and 1825 by decree of Francis I of Austria, and the reasons were military: in 1848 a column of Valtellina volunteers held the pass for more than four months.

The coat of arms, adopted in 1969, is a six-petalled star on a black ground. The star is the «flower of life», a very old sign of the Alpine arc linked to the cult of the sun, used here for the Klosn, a winter tradition that takes place at night: the black of the ground stands for that. In April 1935 the Stelvio national park was created.

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