It is a fact, that the Val Badia Valley was already inhabited in prehistoric times, even though this was not in a permanent way. In fact, the findings from the Passo delle Erbe and from Alpe Pozes origin from a period between 7000 and 5000 B.C. and provide proof of the presence of humans in this territory at least in summer time.
Based upon this knowledge, archaeologists presume that permanent, settlement in Val Badia took place at the beginning of the Bronze Age. The size of these settlements was however small.

Due to the conquest of the Alps by the Roman Army in 15 B.C., our area became part of history: this is how our region became part of the Roman Empire. The Latin language of the new emperors was mixed with local idioms and the Ladin language was born. This Neolatin language is still spoken in the Dolomite valleys around the Sella Group. We do not know much about the history of these valleys prior to the medieval centuries. Just after 1000 AD the ownership of the grounds in the Val Badia Valley changed. Around 1030 the Count of Puster Valley Volkhold donated all parts of Val Badia to the right of the Gader River, in detail Marebbe, La Valle, San Leonardo, San Cassiano, La Villa and Corvara to the convent of the Benedictines from the Badia Castle (near San Lorenzo di Sebato). The part on the left of the Gader River, which corresponds to today's community of San Martino in Badia (S. Martino with Piccolino and Jù, Longiarù and Antermoia) and the village of Rina where given to the bishop of Bressanone (1027) by the emperor Corrado II.
These conditions of ownership remained unchanged for about 800 years. It was only after the dissolution of the convent at the Badia Castle, which was arranged by emperor Giuseppe II in 1785, and only with the secularization of the ecclesiastical principalities of Bressanone in 1803, that the valley's population depended directly on the state.

The First World War caused death and destruction especially severe in the Ladin valleys in the Dolomites ((Val Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, Livinallongo and Ampezzo).

The front line passes across Ladin territory and reaches to the southern margin of the Val Badia Valley.

With the awarding of South Tyrol to Italy in 1918, the Ladin valleys also became a part of Italy. In the 20's, the Ladin valleys were first (1923) divided in two, later on (1927) they were divided in three provinces - Trento, Belluno and Bolzano. This decision was based upon a political measure of the fascist regime and brought disadvantages to the cohesion and unity of the Ladin language group.

In the Treaty of Paris (1946), which was signed by Italy and Austria, the Ladin language group was not even mentioned. In the Statute of Autonomy of 1948 the Ladins were briefly mentioned by the provinces of Bolzano and Trento. It was only in 1972 with the so-called "Pacchetto" (legislative pack), that the necessary prerequisites for the protection of the ethnic group of Ladins were established. Unfortunately this protection only regards the Ladins in the province of Bolzano and, to a smaller extent, the Ladins in the province of Trento, while Ladins living in the province of Belluno (Veneto region) have no advantages from the Pacchetto, which is only valid for the Region of Trentino-South Tyrol.


The Val Badia Valley is one of four valleys in the Dolomites extending from the Sella Massif. From a geologic point of view, the Val Badia Valley presents a special composition and in addition to the main valley, there are side valleys like Longiarù, Marebbe and La Valle. It is in these side valleys on the hills exposed to the sun in particular, that we find these agglomerates called "Viles", which provide the traditional settlement structure with a special note. In general, few farms are arranged around the square of the "Vila", where a fountain and a communal oven can be found. A sense of community, the need for protection and the economical use of bad fertile ground may be the reason for the development of this type of settlement, which is probably also the most original in the Alps.
Prior to the construction of the main valley road in 1892, the Val Badia Valley's economy was characterized by self-sufficiency, whereby the ground available was the only resource of material and economy. Agriculture (barley, oat, rye, wheat, broad beans, kidding and hemp) and the keeping of cattle had to be undertaken in a balanced way and had to form a closed circle: this was the "eternal ground of the farmers". This system had been known since the early Middle Ages and contributed to the guaranteed survival of the Ladin community until the end of the 20th Century.
Unchanged is also the rural architecture, which for centuries used only materials that were available in the valley, like stone and wood. The mushroom shape of the houses is very characteristic. The basement and the first floor (kitchen and traditional wooden room) are realized with bricks, painted in white. The bedroom and attic sectors are made from wood and surrounded by a balcony (in Ladin sorà), which runs along several sides of the building and was used to dry the food. Another characteristic element, which concludes the settlement model of these Viles in a harmonic way, is the roof. The roof was constructed with a collapsible shingle top.
Surprisingly the sensational economic development of the last decades has not brought any changes to the Viles. Not far from the ski centres in the valley, on steep hills, part of the Middle Age was conserved and the elderly still dedicate their lives to the traditional activities.
Protection and promotional programmes for the Viles in Val Badia should allow for a series of interventions in order to adapt the Viles to the altered socioeconomic conditions.

The Ladin Language

As already mentioned, the language spoken in the Val Badia Valley is Ladin. It is a Neolatin language, which is not only spoken in Val Badia, but also in other valleys surrounding the Sella Massif (Val Gardena, Livinallongo, Val di Fassa, Ampezzo). A variation of Ladin is also spoken in Friuli and Grigioni (Switzerland). A written language, which is to be uniform at least to the Ladin variations in the Dolomites, is still in the phase of elaboration.

Here some examples of the Badia Valley Ladin "Badiotto":

Good morning = Bun dé! (until noon)
Good afternoon = Bun domisdé! (until twilight)
Good evening = Buna sëra!
Good night = Buna nöt!
Please! = Prëibel! = Prëitambel!
Thank you = Dilan!
You are welcome! (replay to "Thank you")= Nia da dì!
Do you speek Ladin / Italian? = Baiëise ladin / talian?
I would like a single room = I oress na ćiamena da un n let!
How are you? = Co vara pa?
Fine / Bad! = Bun / mal!
Did you have a good sleep? = Ëise dormì bun?
Where are you going today? = Ola jëise pa incö?
What time is breakfast at? = Can ciàfon pa le gostè?
Are you coming for lunch? = Vëgneste a marëna?
Will we see each other at dinner? = S'odunse pro cëna?
The weather is nice = Al é bel tëmp
It is raining = Al vëgn la plöia = al plöi
It is snowing = Al vëgn la nëi = al nëi
The wind is blowing = Al va da vënt
It is hailing = Al vëgn les granijores = al graniëia
It's warm / cold = Al é ćialt / frëit
I want to order a litre of wine = Iö comani n liter de vin
We will pay for the drinks = Nos paiun les boandes
I will go dancing this evening = Insnöt vai a balè