Sëlva is a comune (municipality) and a village in the Val Gardena in South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about 30 km east of the city of Bolzano. The Ladin and Italian place names derive from the Latin word silva ("wood").

History

Coat-of-arms

The arms are quarterly, the first and third quarters are per bend nebuly argent and gules; the second and third quarters are indented azure and Argent on a Base sable. The emblem represents the insignia of the Lords of Wolkenstein who built the local castle in 1291. The arms were adopted in 1968.

Geography

As of 30 December 2010, it had a population of 2,637 and an area of 53.2 km2. Sëlva borders the following municipalities: Badia, Campitello di Fassa, Canazei, Corvara, San Martin de Tor, and Santa Cristina Gherdëina. It is perhaps best known as one of the starting points of the Sella Ronda ski tour.

Society

Linguistic distribution

According to the 2011 census, 89.74% of the population speak Ladin, 5.15% Italian and 5.11% German as first language.

Demographic evolution

Climate

Sëlva is characterized by a typical Alpine climate. Summers are rather short and relatively wet. The average daily temperatures in summer lie between 18 and 21 °C, while at night temperatures usually drop to between 6 and 9 °C. Winters are typically cold, long and relatively dry. The average daily temperatures in winter lie between 0 and 2 °C, while at night temperatures usually drop to between -6 and -9 °C. The wettest month is August with 142 mm, while the driest is February with only 21 mm. This data was measured at the weather station in Plan at an altitude of 1,594 metres between 1991 and 2020.

Gallery

<Gallery> File:Piciulëi_in_La_Poza_Sëlva.jpg|The farmhouse Piciulëi in Sëlva [Gherdëina](https://bliptext.com/articles/val-gardena). Southern aspect.

Notable people