Mendola mountain ridge
The Mendola mountain ridge is the division line between the Italian-speaking Trentino and the German-speaking area of South Tyrol.
It is considered the borderline between two Italian provinces. The Mendola mountain ridge stretches on a length of 35 km and consists of peaks such as the Roen (2,116 m) and the Penegal with 1,737 m.
The Mendola mountain ridge belongs to the Val di Non mountains, which are anon part of the Southern Limestone Alps. This mountain ridge starts at the Passo delle Palade in the surroundings of Merano and ends at Salorno in the Bassa Atesina. While the forest presents the premises, mixed forests with copper beeches and Scotch pines cover the Passo Mendola. In the Val di Non, the vegetation transitions into larch forests, in other places the mixed forests are replaced by spruce forests. The form of the Mendola mountain ridge dates back to the Ice Age and bears a striking feature. On one side it gently declines towards the Val di Non, while on the other the sharp rock face falls away sharply down into the valleys.
Already in the 15th century the term “Mendola” was mentioned in documents, but its exact significance is still uncertain. There are two variants: on the one hand the term could derive from the Roman term “menda”, which means “undeveloped land, used as pasture-land”. On the other hand in Old High German, “mendi” means delight and pleasure, which could be attached to fertile pasture-land, or maybe also the pleasure of holidays in this area.
The Mendola mountain ridge is by the way a very popular summer resort for inhabitants of the surroundings.
