Kiens

Kiens
—  Comune  —
Gemeinde Kiens Comune di Chienes
Kiens Location of Kiens in Italy
Coordinates: 46°49′N 11°50′E / 46.817°N 11.833°E / 46.817; 11.833Coordinates: 46°49′N 11°50′E / 46.817°N 11.833°E / 46.817; 11.833
Country	Italy
Region	Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Province	South Tyrol (BZ)
Frazioni	Ehrenburg (Casteldarne), Getzenberg (Monghezzo), Hofern (Corti), St. Sigmund (San Sigismondo)
Government
- Mayor	Reinhard Niederkofler
Area
- Total	33.9 km2 (13.1 sq mi)
Population (Nov. 2010)
- Total	2,726
- Density	80.4/km2 (208.3/sq mi)
Demonym	German: Kienser Italian: di Chienes
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	39030
Dialing code	0474
Website	Official website

Kiens (Italian: Chienes) is a comune (municipality) in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 100 km northeast of Trento and about 50 km northeast of Bolzano.

Geography

As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 2,726 and an area of 33.9 km².^[1]

The municipality of Kiens contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Ehrenburg (Casteldarne), Getzenberg (Monghezzo), Hofern (Corti) and St. Sigmund (San Sigismondo).

Kiens borders the following municipalities: Pfalzen, Rodeneck, St. Lorenzen, Mühlwald, Terenten and Vintl.

History

Coat-of-arms

The emblem is based on that of the family Schöneck; on gules a curved pile argent. In the right corner take place a five-pointed argent star, symbolizing the five villages in the municipality. The emblem was adopted in 1961.^[2]

Society

Linguistic distribution

According to the 2001 census, 96.82% of the population speak German, 2.41% Italian and 0.77% Ladin as first language.^[3]

Demographic evolution

Demographic evolution^[4]

St. Sigmund

St. Sigmund parish church

St. Sigmund is a frazione of Kiens, its origins date back to 1050, when first it was called Burin and after Peuren, in 1317.

The town is located where the valley widens into a large flat area, for that reason it enjoys excellent weather conditions throughout the year.

From an architectural point of view, the buildings in the area are based on original South Tyrolean farmsteads style. Especially is notable the parish church (1449-1489), where is present the oldest and best preserved altar in Tyrol, dated around 1430. Another point of interest is the Church of Our Lady (German: Stöcklkapelle) dating back to 1621 and built in Baroque style. Behind the railway station, in the river Rienz, there are the Ilistra thermal baths (German: Ilstern), which once featured facilities for cures. Also in this area is the church of St. Ulrich that dates back to 1491 and is well preserved.

References

1. ^ Overall demographics and other statistics: Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT).
2. ^ Heraldry of the World: Kiens
3. ^ Oscar Benvenuto (ed.): "South Tyrol in Figures 2008", Provincial Statistics Institute of the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol, Bozen/Bolzano 2007, p. 16, table 10
4. ^ Data from the Municipality of Kiens.

External links

• Official website of the municipality (in German and Italian)
• Official website of the frazione of St. Sigmund.