The Romanisation of Ladinia

Roman soldiers, merchants, officials and priests brought a variety of technical, economic and cultural innovation to the area.

Along the main routes in the major valleys, Roman settlements were built or already existing settlements were enlarged: Sebatum (St. Lorenzen/San Lorenzo) in Pustertal/Val Pusteria, Brixen/Bressanone in the Eisack/Isarco Valley, Pons Drusi (Bozen/Bolzano) and Tridentum (Trent).

People gradually began to speak a colourful local “popular” Latin. The Roman influence came into the Dolomite valleys in a much slower and less systematic manner than in the main Alpine valleys.

The Roman settlement of Sebatum (St. Lorenzen/San Lorenzo) was a key starting point for the romanisation of lower Gadertal/Val Badia.
According to one hypothesis, small hamlets initially called vici and later viles developed from the economic units of the Roman smallholders during Roman times.