Roland Verra

Roland Verra La legge-quadro 482/’99 ed i Ladini A vent’anni dalla promulgazione della legge-quadro 482/’99 per la tutela delle minoranze storiche in Italia ci si chiede quale sia stato il suo impatto sulla condizione della minoranza ladina. La mia esperienza in materia di Legge 482 risale principalmente alla mia attività di Intendente Scolastico per le Scuole delle Località Ladine, incarico che ho svolto dal 1992 al 2018. Le normative che regolano l’uso e l’insegnamento del ladino in Provincia di Bolzano sono ben precedenti l’approvazione della legge 482 e si rifanno al principio sancito già nel primo Statuto d’Autonomia del 1948 che recita all’articolo 87: “E’ garantito l’insegnamento del ladino nelle scuole elementari delle località ove esso è parlato”. In seguito si ebbero ulteriori passi avanti, specie in grazia del DPR 89 del 1983, Norme di attuazione del secondo Statuto d’ Autonomia del 1972, che prevedeva anche l’uso del ladino quale strumento d’insegnam

I was born at Christmas 1956 and spent my childhood and youth in Gherdeina (Italian:Gardena, German: Gröden) Valley in the Dolomites Mountains in North-East Italy (Bolzano Province/South Tyrol). My father was a woodcarver and painter, so I got in contact with art already in my early childhood (see also the post "Some newer paintings"). I attended the multilingual schools in my hometown Urtijei (also named Ortisei in Italian and St.Ulrich in German); my mother-tongue is Ladin, while I learned German, Italian and English at school. After graduating "summa cum laude" from Padova University in Modern Languages and Literature, I taught History and Literature in secondary and upper schools for many years. At the same time I was active in some Ladin cultural associations and began writing for local newspapers and editors. In 1989 I won the first prize in the poetry contest in Cortina d'Ampezzo, dedicated to the mountain poets. Together with a group of people belongi

The Dolomites Mountains are considered a magic place not only due to their wonderful landscapes but also beacuse they are the scenery of very ancient myths about gods and heroes of past centuries. Most of them have been collected at the beginning of the 20th century by the writer Karl Felix Wolff and published in many languages worldwide. These myths are the most ancient oral literary tradition of the Ladin people. Many Ladin artists and writers have been inspired by them, especially during the first "Ladin Renaissance" at the end of the 19th century.. Some years ago I wrote a musical poem, called "Fanes", with music by Susy Rottonara, on the most important legend of the Pale Mountains, reguarding the ascent and fall of the reign of Fanes.. Together with her and Hans Peter Karbon we also made a movie on the same subject, called "The reign of Fanes". Interesting studies on the Ladin legends and myths have been published by Ulrike Kindl. Nowadays many

In the heart of the Dolomites Mountains lives a tiny minority of approximately 30.000 people still speaking Ladin, an ancient language, born from the encounter of Latin with the local alpine languages in the years of Roman domination Nowadays the Ladin area is divided between three provinces: Bolzano/Bozen, Trento and Belluno. therefore there are also different laws and rules of protection of the minority, which hampers the opportunities of presevation and development of this endangered language and culture. In the province of Bolzano/Bozen (South Tyrol) Ladin is taught for 2 hours a week at school in the Ladin area, all other lessons are in German or Italian for half of the timetable. In Fassa Valley (province of Trento) ladin may be used as a teaching-language in some contents and is also taught as a compulsory matter. In Belluno province Ladin is not a compulsory subject of education. The Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bolzano/Bozen has an own course for Ladi