Bivio

Bivio south

Bivio ( German up to 1902 officially Stalla, Romansh Beiva ) is a municipality in the district of Surses, District Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.

Bivio lies at the foot of the Alpine passes Julier and Septimer and is the only Italian-speaking district of Switzerland north of the Alpine watershed and is regarded as the municipality with the greatest linguistic diversity.

Coat of arms

Blazon: Argent, a upright black, red reinforced Capricorn, accompanied by two ousted black horseshoe

The Capricorn than the traditional coat of arms of the municipality is supplemented by the two horseshoes that are available for the historical significance of the Julier and Septimerpass, they differentiate the coat of arms at the same time from that of the church covenant.

Geography

Bivio is the highest village of the valley Surses (Eng. Above stone). The municipality covers the entire catchment area of the river above the Julia Marmorera reservoir and attacks on Septimerpass more than a mile to the south over the watershed from. There, the community and at the same district boundary runs along the Säscel BATTUE, a constriction of the medieval Pass route.

In the Val d' Agnel as north-west of the Julier Pass incipient central valley open from the left side valleys Val Grevasalvas, Val d' Emmat, the Septimer leading to Val Tgavretga, Valletta since Beiva and Val Gronda. The steeper slope of the valley right is little organized.

The bounding the territory to the west mountain range reaches throughout - even in the three dips Stallerberg, Fuorcia da la Valletta and Forcellina - heights of over 2,500 m; it culminates in the Piz Surparé ( 3078 m) and in the far south in the Piz Turba ( 3018 m). At the south-eastern border dominated the Piz Lagrev ( 3165 m). The Piz d' Agnel not only marks the most northerly, but with 3205 m and the highest point of the municipality.

Apart from the main district, which extends as a village street on a Verebnung left of Juliet, are among Bivio some small settlements outside: Tgavretga, Stalveder with Tges'Alva, Val Beiva and Mot. Extreme poverty Forest, caused by increased deforestation since the late Middle Ages, featuring the entire municipality. The village itself lies against avalanches safely at the foot of a gentle ridge.

In 1997, 48.8 % of the municipality were used for agriculture, the forest took 2.2 %, which settlements 0.4 %. As unproductive were 48.6 %.

The neighboring municipalities are Marmorera, Bever ( exclave ), Silvaplana, Sils im Engadin / Segl, Bregaglia, Avers and Mulegns.

History

The development of the mentioned as stabulum bivio (stall at the crossroads ) in the 9th century settlement was linked at all times intimately with the pass traffic through Septimer and Julier. These two passes - the times were of European importance - Bivio connect with the Bergell and the Engadine. The important regional link Stallerberg leads to the Walser settlement of Avers. The place is therefore in the intersection of different languages ​​and cultures, the essential influences of the South, from her Bergell came.

The close relationships between Bivio and Bergell created not only by the pass traffic. Documents from the 15th century concerning the transhumance of pastures and Alps in the field of Bivio by Bergeller families in the service of the lords of Salis - Soglio. From the 16th century, these families have proven settled year-round in the outer fractions of Bivio; However, the village center still stayed purely Romansh.

Center of Port Stalla, transhipment and horse-changing station - - As part of the Septimer Bivio was owned by the Bishop of Chur and later a member of the federal house of God. There it formed together with Marmorera and Avers own court. With the Bergeller neighbors a part of the population was converted to Protestantism in the 16th century. Since then, both denominations are about equally represented in the community, which Bivio is an exception in the otherwise quite Catholic Above stone.

Like the entire stone Above the village experienced after the loss of transit traffic end of the 19th century a recession. 1959 After the first was built by now three ski lifts, set up a tourism development. In the 1980s, the area was overbuilt Plaz right of Julia.

Population

Languages

In the village three languages ​​are spoken in the Middle Ages: well as the official language of Italian, German and Romansh most population of Bivio also. The next valley Avers was settled by German-speaking Walser, which also attracted to Bivio past towards Alp Flix and Davos on. With the emergence of tourism, the German developed since the 19th century more and more everyday language.

The Italian local dialect largely corresponds to the Bergeller dialect ( " Bargajot ", itself a sub- dialect of Lombard ), but has local peculiarities. The spoken by only a few residents Bivio - Romanesque stands between the idioms Surmiran and computer. Since the German - as well as the Italian - is represented in several varieties ( written German, Grisons German and other Swiss German dialects ), include linguists up to seven spoken in Bivio languages ​​and dialects. Because of the complicated language situation was this, the census takers with a dilemma. Thus, in 1880 67 % 1910 67 % novels and novels were counted ( Italian 26 %). This proportion dropped to 1941 then to 43%. However, since almost all the inhabitants were two or three languages ​​, they gave once Romanesque, another time Italian as their mother language.

Because the seven languages, dialects and dialects spoken in Bivio ( written German and Grisons German, Italian and Bargaiot, Surmiran, computer and Bivio - Romance) Bivio is considered the " mehrsprachigste " municipality in Switzerland.

Officially, the only Italian authorities language, although now indicates a majority German as their main language. In the community meeting about German is spoken today, but the protocol written in Italian as before. Primary school is bilingual, German and Italian. This Bivio is the only officially Italian-speaking district north of the Alps.

The linguistic development of recent decades shows the following table:

Origin and nationality

From the end of 2005 220 inhabitants were 187 ( = 85.00 %), Swiss nationals.

Economy

In agriculture, 31 people were employed in the manufacturing sector and the services sector 20 111

Attractions

• Catholic parish Son Giagl, newly ordained 1518th From that time, also the late Gothic winged altar from the studio of Ivo Striegel in Memmingen.
• Reformed Church Bivio, a simple building of the 17th century with a troubled construction history
• Historical pass routes over the Julier ( with wheel tracks from Roman times ) and Septimer.

Personalities

• Mauro Jöhri, Minister General of the Capuchin Order

Gallery

Bivio and the Julier Pass

Bivio Plaz

Plaz and the Julia