The Vinschgau, Vintschgau (German: [ˈfɪn(t)ʃɡaʊ]) or Vinschgau Valley (Italian: Val Venosta [ˈval veˈnɔsta]; Romansh: Vnuost [ˈfnuɔ̯ʃt] ; Ladin: Val Venuesta; medieval toponym: Finsgowe) is the upper part of the Adige or Etsch river valley, in the western part of the province of South Tyrol, Italy.
The Prince-Bishopric of Chur (German: Hochstift Chur, Fürstbistum Chur, Bistum Chur) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire, and had Imperial immediacy. The Prince-Bishopric of Chur controlled contiguous land from the city of Chur, to Engadin, and to Vinschgau. The historical State must be distinguished from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chur which still exists, even if the bishop was the same man.
They were led by the League of God's House from the 15th century. The Three Leagues then took over any effective power from the Prince-Bishopric (while in Vinschgau the control passed to the Habsburg), and after the Reformation the bishop's estates remained the sole territory of the principality. The bishop had the vote number 51 in the Imperial Diet.
The Adige is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the province of South Tyrol, near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland, and flows 410 kilometres (250 mi) through most of northeastern Italy to the Adriatic Sea.
The name of the river is of unknown origin. Nineteenth-century theories, such as a derivation from the Proto-Celtic *yt-ese 'the water', and alleged to be cognate with the River Tees in England (anciently Athesis, Teesa), have never been accepted by Celtic onomasts and are now completely obsolete.
Marillenknödel (German: [maˈʁɪlənˌknøːdl̩] ; Czech: meruňkové knedlíky, lit. apricot dumplings) is a pastry common in Austrian (especially Viennese), Czech cuisine, Hungarian cuisine and across Central Europe. Marillen is the Austro-Bavarian term for apricots (most of the German-speaking world uses Aprikose) and this pastry is found predominantly in areas where apricot orchards are common, such as the Wachau and Vinschgau regions.
Small dumplings (Knödel) are formed from dough, in which cored apricots or mirabelle plums are placed. The dumplings are then boiled in slightly salted water and covered in crispily fried bread crumbs and powdered sugar. The dough is usually made of potato (Erdapfel), though also quark (Topfen) and choux pastry are used.
Reschen Pass (German: Reschenpass, pronounced [ˈrɛʃn̩ˌpas] ; Italian: Passo di Resia [ˈpasso di ˈrɛːzja]) is a mountain pass across the main chain of the Alps, connecting the Upper Inn Valley in the northwest with the Vinschgau region in the southeast. Since 1919, the border between South Tyrol, Italy and Tyrol, Austria has approximately followed the watershed, the pass summit at a height of 1,504 metres (4,934 ft) being completely on Italian territory.
Merano or Meran is a comune (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to 3,335 metres (10,942 feet) above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier Valley and the Vinschgau.
The city has been a popular place of residence for several scientists, literary people, and artists, including Franz Kafka, Paul Lazarsfeld and also Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who appreciated its mild climate.