The Valle dei Mocheni, also called “Bersntol” is a German-speaking area in Trentino
The Valle dei Mocheni branches off only few kilometres from Trento, near Pergine di Valsugana and is traversed by the Fersina brook. The valley, also known as "Bersntol", is inhabited by the Mocheni, a German-speaking community who settled this area between 1300 and 1400. It is supposed that the origins of this population date back to when, by the will of the feudal lords of Pergine, German colonizers settled this rather unpopulated area. The first inhabitants built copper and silver mines before becoming well-known farmers and peddlers in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Following violent repression by the fascist regime, which prohibited the use of Germanic languages, the Mocheni community and their culture faced severe marginalisation after the Second World War. Fortunately, in the 1960s, linguistic minorities, including the Mocheni, were rediscovered.
Over the years, Trentino has implemented specific measures aimed at protecting its historic linguistic minorities: the Mocheni, the Cimbrians and the Ladins. Even though only about 2,000 people continue to speak "mocheno", the aforementioned measures have helped prevent the extinction of the language.
The villages where Mocheno is still commonly spoken are Roveda, Frassilongo, Fierozzo and Palù di Fersina.
Learn more about the Valle dei Mocheni, the history and its people by visiting the “Bersntoler Kulturinstitut” at Palai. For further information, please call +39 0461 550073.
