Brixen (), also known as Bressanone (), is a town and commune in the province of South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about north of Bolzano.

Brixen is the third-largest city and oldest town in the province, with a population of nearly twenty-three thousand. It is located at the confluence of the Eisack and Rienz rivers, and today it is the capital of the Eisack district community.

Name and etymology

As it is more than 70% German-speaking, the town is usually known in English by its German name, Brixen. It is also known by its Italian name, Bressanone. The municipality is officially bilingual in German and Italian. Ladin is the third-largest and the oldest language spoken in South Tyrol; Brixen is named or () in Ladin.

The reconstruction of Brixen's pre-Roman name has been debated. Some linguists propose a Celtic form *Brigsa or *Brigsina, from the root brig- ('hill, hillfort'). However, the toponym probably first appeared as Pressena in the Quartinus Charter of 828, then as Prihsna in 901, suggesting a possible proto-form *Prixina.

Main sights

  • The Cathedral (10th century), dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, was rebuilt in the 13th century and again in 1745–54 along Baroque lines. The ceiling of the nave has a large fresco by Paul Troger portraying the Adoration of the Lamb.
  • The Hofburg, a Renaissance Bishop's Palace (started in the 13th century), one of the main noble residences in South Tyrol. The Diocesan Museum has several artworks, including a presepe with 5,000 figures created for Bishop Karl Franz Lodron.
  • The round parish church of Saint Michael (11th century). The Gothic choir and the bell tower are from the 15th century while the nave is from the 16th. The main artwork is a wooden Cireneus from the 15th century.
  • The Pharmacy Museum (), located in a nearly 500-year-old townhouse, shows the development and changes of the local pharmacy. The Peer family (now the 7th generation) has run this pharmacy since 1787, always in the same location. The museum's carefully restored rooms illustrate the development of the pharmaceutical profession over the centuries and the changes in remedies used, from the testicles of a beaver and pieces of an ancient Egyptian mummy to modern plasters and lyophilisates. All the objects and medicines on display were in use over the centuries. The museum also has a library for historical research and the archive of the Peer family. In a separate room there is a multimedia display of the history of the family.
  • The White Tower (also known as "Weißer Turm") was completed in 1591, but subsequently modified. The 72-meter-tall tower, which is located next to the parish church of Saint Michael, is inside the city walls in the historic center of Brixen. It contains a complex carillon mechanism of 43 bells, which ring every day at 11:00 a.m. and can play more than a hundred different tunes. On the top floor there is a large roof where it is possible to observe the surroundings. The Tower also has a lunar clock. The tower's Gothic Architecture is one of the few remaining in South Tyrol. It is the cultural heritage monument with the number 14186 in South Tyrol. The White Tower is in use as a museum since 2007.

Outside the city is Rodeneck Castle, one of the most powerful of its time. It has precious frescoes from the early 13th century. Also important are Reifenstein Castle and Trostburg Castle in Waidbruck. In the latter lived the adventurer and minstrel Oswald von Wolkenstein.

<gallery>

File:Brixen Dom Mariä Himmelfahrt (BD 14187 1 05-2015).jpg|Cathedral of Brixen (outside)

File:Brixner Dom Innenraum 1.JPG|Cathedral of Brixen (inside)

File:Fürstbischoefliche Hofburg in Brixen.jpg|Hofburg Brixen

</gallery>

Society

thumb|Cathedral of Brixen

Linguistic distribution

According to the 2024 census, the majority of the population speaks German as first language (72.61%). The remainder of the inhabitants speak Italian and Ladin as first languages, with percentages of 26.03% and 1.36%, respectively.

{| class="wikitable"

|+

!Year

!German

!Italian

!Ladin

|-

|1971

|64.86%

|34.32%

|0.82%

|-

|1981

|70.32%

|28.40%

|1.29%

|-

|1991

|71.68%

|27.03%

|1.29%

|-

|2001

|72.61%

|26.03%

|1.36%

|}

Culture

thumb|St Jacob Church

The rock band, Frei.Wild, has its origin in Brixen.

Notable people

  • Maria Hueber (1653–1705) – religious sister, pioneer in educating girls in Tyrol
  • Matteo Goffriller (1659–1742) – Venetian luthier, particularly noted for the quality of his cellos
  • Anton Pichler (1697–1779) – Tyrolean goldsmith and artist of engraved gems
  • Joseph Ambrose Stapf (1785–1844) – professor of moral theology and pedagogy at Brixen seminary
  • Jakob Philipp Fallmerayer (1790–1861) – traveller, journalist, politician and historian
  • Johanna von Isser Großrubatscher (1802–1880) – graphic artist and writer
  • Josef Murr (1864–1932) – classical philologist and botanist
  • Eduard Thöny (1866–1950) – caricaturist and illustrator
  • Fritz Tarbuk von Sensenhorst (1896–1976) – lieutenant in the Austro-Hungarian Navy, captain in the army and an entrepreneur
  • Mary de Rachewiltz (born 1925) – poet and translator
  • Reinhold Messner (born 1944) – mountaineer, adventurer, explorer, author and politician
  • Heinz Winkler (born 1949) – three-Michelin star chef
  • Herbert Dorfmann (born 1969) – agronomist and Member of the European Parliament

Sport

  • Denise Karbon (born 1980) – World Cup alpine ski racer
  • Roland Fischnaller (born 1980) – snowboarder at the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics
  • Karin Oberhofer (born 1985) – biathlete, bronze medallist in the Mixed relay at the 2014 Winter Olympics
  • Ludwig Rieder (born 1991) – luger, competitor at the 2014 Winter Olympics
  • Dominik Fischnaller (born 1993) – luger, bronze medallist at the 2022 Winter Olympics
  • Kevin Fischnaller (born 1993) – luger, competitor at the 2018 Winter Olympics
  • Andrea Isufaj (born 1999) – footballer
  • Eva Schatzer (born 2005) - footballer

Transport

thumb|right|200px|Brixen railway stationBrixen has a railway station on the Brenner Railway, which connects the town to Verona and Innsbruck. It has an individual fare structure for public transport within the Tirol-Südtirol zone.

Italy

  • Regional Train (Trenitalia Regional): Brennero/Brenner – Fortezza/Franzensfeste – Bressanone/Brixen – Chiusa/Klausen – Bolzano/Bozen – Trento – Rovereto – Verona – Isola della Scala – Nogara – Bologna

Germany/Austria/South Tyrol

(D for Germany, A for Austria)

On 11 December 2016, ÖBB took over Deutsche Bahn's night trains. The Munich-Milan service was withdrawn.

  • Night Train (DB CityNightLine) Munich-Milan/Rome: Munich (D) – Kufstein (A) – Jenbach (A) – Innsbruck (A) – Brixen/Bressanone – Bolzano/Bozen – Trento/Trient – Verona – Peschiera del Garda – Brescia – Milan
  • Intercity Train (ÖBB Eurocity) Munich-Verona/Venice: Munich (D) – Kufstein (A) – Jenbach (A) – Innsbruck (A) – Brenner/Brennero – Franzensfeste/Fortezza – Brixen/Bressanone – Bolzano/Bozen – Trento – Rovereto – Verona – Padua – Venice
  • Intercity Train (ÖBB Eurocity) Munich-Verona/Bologna: Munich (D) – Kufstein (A) – Jenbach (A) – Innsbruck (A) – Brenner/Brennero – Franzensfeste/Fortezza – Brixen/Bressanone – Bolzano/Bozen – Trento – Rovereto – Verona – Bologna
  • Regional Train (Südtirol Bahn Regio-Express) Bolzano/Bozen-Innsbruck: Bolzano/Bozen – Brixen/Bressanone – Franzensfeste/Fortezza – Sterzing/Vipiteno – Brenner/Brennero – Innsbruck
  • Regional Train (Südtirol Bahn Regio) Brixen/Bressanone-Lienz: Brixen/Bressanone – Franzensfeste/Fortezza – Mühlbach/Rio di Pusteria – Vintl/Vandoies – Ehrenburg/Casteldarne – St. Lorenzen/San Lorenzo di Sebato – Bruneck/Brunico – Olang/Valdaora – Welsberg/Monguelfo – Niederdorf/Villabassa – Toblach/Dobbiaco – Innichen/San Candido – Lienz (A)
  • Train connects at Verona with ÖBB EuroNight Rome-Vienna: DB CityNightLine splits into two trains (first half couples with ÖBB Rome-Vienna and leaves for Vienna or Rome; second half continues to Munich or Milan). Vienna-Rome splits into two trains (first half continues to Rome or Vienna; second half couples with DB CityNightLine for Milan or Munich).

By road, the town has two exits on the Brenner Autobahn that connects Brixen to the Brenner Pass.

Twin towns – sister cities

Brixen is twinned with:

  • Bled, Slovenia, since 2004
  • Havlíčkův Brod, Czech Republic, since 1992
  • Regensburg, Germany, since 1969

Sports

  • Brixen hosted the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics.
  • Brixen hosted the 16th Unicycle World Convention and Championships (UNICON) in July 2012.

References

Further reading

  • Leo Andergassen, Der Dom zu Brixen. Geschichte, Raum, Kunst. Bozen: Verlagsanstalt Athesia 2009.
  • Helmut Flachenecker, Hans Heiss, Hannes Obermair (eds), Stadt und Hochstift, Brixen, Bruneck und Klausen bis zur Säkularisation 1803 – Città e Principato, Bressanone, Brunico e Chiusa fino alla secolarizzazione 1803 (= Veröffentlichungen des Südtiroler Landesarchivs 12). Bozen: Verlagsanstalt Athesia 2000.
  • Barbara Fuchs, Hans Heiss, Carlo Milesi, Brixen. Die Geschichte. Kunst, Kultur, Gesellschaft. 2 vols. Bozen: Athesia/Tappeiner 2004–06
  • Ludwig Tavernier, Der Dombezirk von Brixen im Mittelalter. Gestalt, Funktion, Bedeutung (= Schlern-Schriften 294). Innsbruck: Universitätsverlag Wagner 1996.
  • Homepage of the municipality
  • WebCam picture from Bressanone – Brixen